Last September, the Vikings acquired running back Cam Akers from the Rams for...well, nothing. The deal was Akers and a conditional 2026 seventh-round pick to Minnesota for a conditional 2026 sixth-rounder. That pick swap would've counted if Akers had exceeded 500 yards from scrimmage in 2023, but he tore his Achilles in Week 9 after recording 208 yards and a touchdown in six games with the Vikings.
Akers, who is currently in the process of recovering from the second Achilles tear of his career, is a restricted free agent this offseason (RFAs are players with three accrued seasons and an expired contract). The Vikings will have the option to place an original-round tender on him for a bit less than $3 million. Akers was drafted in the second round back in 2020, so no other team would realistically give him an offer sheet in that scenario. If the Vikings don't place a tender on him, he'll become an unrestricted free agent.
Akers seems to think he'll be back in Minnesota in 2024, judging by a recent Instagram comment of his.
The Vikings do have both Alexander Mattison and Ty Chandler under contract next year, but re-signing Akers to round out that room could make sense. His numbers with the Vikings were pretty pedestrian (3.6 yards per carry, 6.4 yards per catch) in a small sample, but he's a solid pass blocker who had a strong 2022 season with the Rams (903 yards from scrimmage, 4.2 YPC, 7 touchdowns). He also had a handful of impressive moments during his brief time with Minnesota.
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