Kareem Hunt wasn’t the only unhappy running back whose future remained uncertain until Tuesday’s trade deadline passed — Cam Akers was ready for a new home, too.
Neither were traded, but unlike Hunt, Akers’ displeasure with his team required some reconciliation before his potential return to the field. It appears as if he and the Rams have indeed worked things out.
Akers is expected to return to practice Thursday, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported, meaning the running back is one step closer to playing for Los Angeles once again.
“Yeah, we had a good conversation and I think laying out those parameters and some of the different things, but the one thing that I think is good about some of these discussions that can take place is when you get a chance to reflect on it, you can be honest about where you could do differently, talking about myself, some of the expectations,” Rams head coach Sean McVay said Wednesday when asked if Akers expressed a desire to rejoin the Rams. “There’s a lot of confidence, there’s a lot of belief in the human being and the player Cam Akers, based on the experiences. You don’t want to jump to conclusions just based on a couple things that nobody was necessarily at fault, but it could have been handled better and I always look at myself first and foremost.”
Akers has missed the past two games as a healthy scratch, left inactive for what the team has described as “personal reasons.” In mid-October, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Akers had philosophical and football-related differences with McVay, leading to the expectation the Rams would send Akers elsewhere before the Nov. 1 deadline.
Instead, the Rams turned down multiple offers for Akers at the deadline, Pelissero reported, leaving the two sides one viable option: talk it out.
“I think there’s a lot of discussions that take place, but it’s got to be the right fit, it’s got to be the right player and some of the things that we were working through,” McVay said Wednesday of the now-dormant trade market. “In some instances, you’re looking at it and you might not necessarily have the compensation that they’re looking for in return, or we felt like it didn’t necessarily fit.”
McVay didn’t commit to Akers playing Sunday at Tampa Bay, but Thursday’s anticipated return to the practice field is a positive step in that direction.
Los Angeles has struggled to run the ball throughout the 2022 season, with a healthy amount of blame due to the Rams’ constant reshuffling of its offensive line. Akers’ numbers have suffered accordingly, averaging just 3 yards per carry on 51 attempts in five games played this season.
Akers has already been through a lot in the short time he’s been in the NFL, suffering an Achilles injury and working tirelessly to defy expectations by returning in time for Los Angeles’ run to Super Bowl LVI. This latest challenge made him consider whether he wanted to be with the Rams at all, but after things remained quiet on the day of the deadline, his best option is to repair the relationship with McVay and get back to work.
The Rams (3-4) could certainly use him.