26 September 2023
Cam Akers watched from the sideline on Sunday afternoon at U.S. Bank Stadium as the Vikings suffered a 28-24 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. After acquiring Akers last week in a trade with the Los Angeles Rams, the Vikings made the 24-year-old running back inactive for the game so as not to put too much on his plate.
It should be a different story this week as the Vikings prepare for a road game against the Carolina Panthers.
Never mind that fellow running back Alexander Mattison will remain the No. 1 option in the backfield. Not only is Akers in position to make his Vikings debut this weekend, he could end up having a major role in the game plan moving forward. He’s eager to prove himself after being written off a few weeks ago.
“The opportunity has presented itself,” Akers said. “Now all I’ve got to do is go make the most of it.”
Talking to reporters on Monday at TCO Performance Center, less than 24 hours after a crushing defeat, Akers expressed an unwavering belief in the Vikings despite the fact that they haven’t had much success to this point. What has stood out about his new team so far?
“The fight. The grit. The resiliency,” Akers said. “We’ll get over that hump and get that first win and won’t look back from there.”
Asked about Akers last week, head coach Kevin O’Connell referenced their time together a couple of seasons ago when he was the offensive coordinator with the Rams. That familiarity is a big reason O’Connell felt comfortable with the Vikings taking a chance on Akers.
On the flip side, Akers said his past relationship with O’Connell has helped him feel comfortable in his own skin.
“It’s made it a lot easier,” he said. “I’m grateful for that.”
He’s also grateful that the Vikings run an offense that mirrors a lot of what the Rams do. As a result, Akers estimated that he already knows about 90 percent of the playbook. The biggest difference is some of the verbiage being used, and he’s gotten up to speed with that over the past few days.
“I’ve learned that I’m resilient,” Akers said. “Nothing can break me.”
Now the next step for Akers is showing that on game days. Not only does he want to prove his previous team wrong for giving up on him so quickly, he wants to prove to the rest of the NFL that he’s still a talented player with a bright future. The fire has been lit as he works to rebuild his reputation.
No better place to do that than with the Vikings.
“I feel like I’m at home,” Akers said. “This is a great place to start the next chapter of my career.”
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