There was a time in the not-too-distant past when Cam Akers looked like the Los Angeles Rams' new runningback of the future.
A second-round pick out of Florida State, Akers immediately found success as a rookie right out of the gate, rushing for 625 yards on 145 carries and two touchdowns in 2020 while adding an additional 123 yards and a touchdown as a receiver on 11 receptions. While Akers wasn't able to bounce back in 2021 as a second-year pro, appearing in just one regular season game due to a torn ACL, he bounced back in a pretty big way in 2022 as the Rams' more often than not starting rusher, setting career highs for rushing yards, rushing attempts, and games played at 786, 188, and 15, respectively.
Sure, things fell apart the following year, with the Rams trading the fourth-year-pro to the Minnesota Vikings for a conditional late Day 3 pick swap, but for a time, Akers was an important part of the Rams, even if his spot as thoroughly been replaced by 2023 fifth-round pick Kyren Williams and 2024 third round pick Blake Corum.
And yet, after accomplishing very little in Minnesota, Akers has looked great this summer as a member of the Houston Texans, where he is fighting for a notable role behind expected starter Joe Mixon.
Asked what it's like to see Akers, the “Medical Marvel,” shine in Bobby Slowak's offense after struggling to find consistency throughout his career, Sean McVay celebrated his accomplishments, as his path through the NFL has not been an easy one.
“I think just resilience. The guy's mentally tough. You look at it. I saw Cam, it was good to see him even in the Hall of Fame game, be able to do what he's done,” McVay told reporters. “When he came back from the first Achilles [injury], and you look at the timetable, Dr. [Neal] ElAttrache has some amazing things that he's able to do to accelerate that, but that's a real credit to Cam and the work ethic that he has and really what he's put in. So, you can't say enough about people that overcome things. Cam's got examples of being able to do that, and you're pulling for him.”
While only time will tell if Akers is finally able to put it all together and become the 1,000-yard rusher fans were hoping to see coming out of FSU, if he's afforded an opportunity to actually play consistent, meaningful football for the Texans this fall, who knows, maybe the 25-year-old will be able to prove he still belongs and could earn a new, long-term deal like Saquon Barkley or Devin Singletary next spring, when he too will be 26-years-old.
The Rams respect the Texans' defensive backfield
Elsewhere in his media availability session, McVay was asked about the Texans' secondary ahead of their preseason finale against DeMeco Ryans' team this weekend. While it's anyone's guess how many starters the Texans – or the Rams, for that matter – will actually play on Saturday, McVay is impressed with their defensive backfield all the same, as he feels they are building something special in Houston.
Related NewsArticle continues below
“I thought they did a really good job. I've been super impressed with [Derek] Stingley [Jr.] from when he was coming out, and then you watched the production that he had last year. I thought [Jalen] Pitre was all over the place. Jimmie Ward is a guy that I've always respected because of his athleticism, the position flex, and what he enables them to be able to do as a safety or [a] guy that can drop down and play coverage on receivers or tight ends. I thought Pitre is a guy that you can see he's really good. I felt them today, and they did a great job. Obviously, having two special guys coming off the edge makes a major difference.”
Matt Stafford was asked about the Texans secondary, too, during his media session and was equally impressed, noting that he believes the team has built the back of their defense the “right” way.
“Yeah, I thought they're talented, really talented. The whole backend is a really talented group. Shoot, I don't know if they're all… it's first-round picks, second-Round picks, third-round… whatever they are, man, they fly around. They're smart. They're asking me questions after the period. ‘What do you see?' This that, and the other. That's a sign of mature guys who are trying to learn the craft and be as good as they possibly can. The athletic skills are definitely there.”
Will Rams fans get to see Stingley Jr. or Pitre on the field this weekend? Maybe yes, maybe no – probably no – but considering both teams are considered of Super Bowl caliber, who knows, maybe another meeting could be in store early next year in Las Vegas if everything breaks perfectly for both teams.
