Inside The Vikings

Reports: Vikings Acquiring RB Cam Akers in Trade With Rams

Akers reunites with Kevin O'Connell, who was his offensive coordinator in LA for two years.
Will Ragatz|
Reports: Vikings Acquiring RB Cam Akers in Trade With Rams
Reports: Vikings Acquiring RB Cam Akers in Trade With Rams

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Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings are acquiring running back Cam Akers in a trade with the Los Angeles Rams, according to reports from ESPN and NFL Network. The deal involves a swap of draft picks in 2026, per Adam Schefter.

News emerged this weekend that the Rams were fielding calls from teams regarding a possible trade for Akers, who was a healthy scratch on Sunday against the 49ers. The 2020 second-round pick is in the final year of his rookie contract.

In joining the Vikings, Akers is reuniting with head coach Kevin O'Connell, who was the Rams' offensive coordinator during his first two NFL seasons. That should help him get up to speed quickly with Minnesota's offense.

Akers racked up 18 touchdowns and nearly 1,400 yards from scrimmage as a junior at Florida State in 2018. The Rams selected him with the 52nd overall pick in the following year's draft. He played in 30 regular season games with Los Angeles, totaling 1,693 yards from scrimmage and 11 touchdowns. Akers also has 520 yards and two scores in six career playoff games; he was on the Rams' Super Bowl-winning team in 2021-22.

As a rookie, Akers put up 748 yards and three scores, including a 194-yard game against the Patriots in mid-December. In his first career playoff game, he went for 176 yards and a touchdown in a win over the Seahawks. Akers tore his Achilles in July 2021 but made a remarkably quick recovery, returning in Week 18 and playing in all four postseason games during the Rams' title run.

Akers had 903 total yards and seven touchdowns last season. He spent a few weeks away from the team in the middle of the season as the Rams explored a trade, but returned and ended the year with four consecutive outings with at least 100 yards from scrimmage.

In Week 1 of this season, Akers carried the ball 22 times for 29 yards. He was inactive on Sunday as the Rams chose to move forward with Kyren Williams as their lead back. Now Akers lands in Minnesota, where he'll look to rejuvenate his career in a contract year.

The Vikings' run game is off to a very slow start in 2023; they're dead last in the league in rushing yards through two weeks. Akers joins starter Alexander Mattison, second-year backup Ty Chandler, and veteran Myles Gaskin in the backfield. It'll be interesting to see what his role looks like moving forward. On paper, he presents a nice stylistic compliment to Mattison.

Akers, 24, is listed at 5'11" and 212 pounds. He ran a 4.47 40 with an elite ten-yard split at the 2020 combine.

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Will Ragatz
WILL RAGATZ

Will Ragatz is a senior writer for Vikings On SI, who also covers the Twins, Timberwolves, Gophers, and other Minnesota teams. He is a credentialed Minnesota Vikings beat reporter, covering the team extensively at practices, games and throughout the NFL draft and free agency period. Ragatz attended Northwestern University, where he studied at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. During his time as a student, he covered Northwestern Wildcats football and basketball for SB Nation’s Inside NU, eventually serving as co-editor-in-chief in his junior year. In the fall of 2018, Will interned in Sports Illustrated’s newsroom in New York City, where he wrote articles on Major League Baseball, college football, and college basketball for SI.com.

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