Rams trade RB Cam Akers to Vikings

(News4usonline) – The Cam Akers era is over. The Los Angeles Rams traded Akers to the Minnesota Vikings. In exchange for the deal, the Rams will get a conditional pick (sixth round) from the 2026 NFL Draft. The Vikings will also get a conditional pick from the same draft (seventh round). In his fourth year playing in the NFL, Akers has rushed for 1,443 yards and 10 touchdowns.

During his short tenure with the Rams, Akers never materialized into the 1,000-yard season running back many were expecting. After selecting Akers with the No. 52 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Rams watched the former Florida State star rush for a promising 625 yards and two touchdowns in his rookie season.

That promise was short-circuited when Akers tore his Achilles during the 2021 season and missed most of the season. In 2022, Akers rushed for a career-high 786 yards and seven touchdowns. Akers played in the opening game of the season for the Rams and scored one touchdown.

He was listed as a gameday inactive in the Rams’ 30-23 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

“Coaches decision,” Rams head coach Sean McVay said at that time about Akers going on the inactive list during a postgame press conference. “(I) felt like that was best for our football team. I felt like Kyron gave us the best opportunity and what Ronnie and Royce have done… So that was a decision that I made.”

With uncertainty surrounding the Akers’ situation, McVay, during a Zoon conference call with reporters, better clarified where everything was headed.

“I think it boils down to we had some good conversations,” McVay said. “I don’t want to get too granular with some of the conversations Cam and I have had but I feel very good about the clarity that was provided to both he and (Sports Agent) David Mulugheta in terms of why we’re at where we are. And then you don’t want to go back and forth on some of the things that have occurred, but based on some of the things that we feel like are best, it will be in the best interest to be able to give him an opportunity.” 

That opportunity turned out to play for another team. Akers was the No. 1 running back coming into training camp. But the elevated play of Kyren Williams, Ronnie Rivers, and even Royce Freeman have impressed McVay and his staff.

Apparently, McVay and the Rams have seen enough out of the other running backs to make Akers expendable. McVay nixed any idea that Akers would be coming back to the team.

“That won’t be an opportunity. It’ll be an opportunity to be able to move…I feel good about the opportunity to be able to move him, but we won’t go back and forth on it,” McVay remarked.