Cam Akers was inactive Sunday for the Rams’ 30-23 Week 2 loss to the 49ers, and the former LA starting running back is in the trade, according to Fox Sports.
The Rams have already contacted other teams about moving Akers, who did not play Sunday despite being healthy, Jay Glazer reported. Akers responded to the report on X (formerly Twitter).
On Monday, head coach Sean McVay confirmed Glazer’s report by telling reporters that general manager Les Snead has spoken to a few teams about Akers and that “that’s the direction” the team is moving, according to The Athletic. After Sunday’s loss to San Francisco, McVay said it was a “coach’s decision” to make Akers inactive.
“I felt like this was the best thing for our football team,” McVay said, via NFL.com. “Felt like Kyren [Williams] gave us the best opportunity and what Ronnie (Rivers) and Royce (Freeman) had done, so that was the decision I made.”
A former second-round pick, Akers helped the Rams win the Super Bowl in his second season after recovering from an Achilles tendon injury he suffered over the summer. Last year, he rushed for a career-high 786 yards and seven touchdowns despite asking for a trade in the first half of the season. Akers had just 29 yards and one touchdown on 22 carries during the Rams’ Week 1 loss to the Seahawks.
“I have a lot of respect for Cam Akers, but I had a feel for our football team today and in this game, and as we moved forward, it was the best decision for us,” McVay added.
Williams, a second-year back, replaced Akers in the Rams’ starting lineup in Week 2 against the 49ers. He ran for 52 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries and caught six passes for 48 yards and a touchdown. Williams led the Rams with 52 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries last week.
The Rams will likely receive interest in Akers. Here’s a look at the teams that could look to add Akers to their backfield.
Baltimore immediately comes to mind after the Ravens recently lost one-year running back JK Dobbins to a knee injury. While the Ravens have good backups in Gus Edwards and Justice Hill, both players have their own injury histories, so Akers could be extra insurance if either player is out.
While Miami’s offense is explosive, it could use some reinforcements at running back. Raheem Mostert, the Dolphins’ starting running back, had 37 yards and a score on 10 carries in Miami’s season-opening win over the Chargers. However, no other Miami back had more than 11 yards, as the Dolphins finished the game with 70 yards on 20 carries.
Like Miami, Tampa doesn’t have much depth behind running back Rachaad White. White ran for 39 yards on 17 carries in Week 1, but no other Buccaneers defender had more than 15 yards in Tampa’s season-opening win over Minnesota. Baker Mayfield actually had the second-most carries in last week’s win, which isn’t a good sign in the long run.
Charger
On paper, the Chargers are fine at running back with Austin Ekeler and backup Joshua Kelley, who had 91 yards on 16 carries in the team’s loss to Miami in Week 1. But with Ekeler dealing with an injury, it wouldn’t be a bad ideal for the Chargers to add a defender of Akers’ caliber to the backfield.
Tony Pollard is Pro Bowl caliber, but the Cowboys don’t have a proven back behind him. Rico Dowdle, a four-year veteran who had seven career catches before this season, had six carries for 24 yards in cleanup duty in last Sunday night’s blowout win over the Giants.