Saints release Super Bowl champion RB

A vested veteran, Akers can head straight into free agency. He would be able to sign elsewhere once the release is official, rather than joining waived players in needing to wait until Wednesday’s pivotal noon ET claiming deadline.

The path to New Orleans’ active roster appeared rather slim for Akers. The team has Alvin Kamara entrenched as a starter after a fall 2024 extension, and former third-round pick Kendre Miller will have another chance as a backup. The Saints also used a sixth-round pick on Devin Neal this year.

A former second-round pick who fell out of favor with the Rams after a promising start to his career, Akers became the historically rare player to be traded to the same team twice in two years. The Vikings acquired Akers from the Rams in 2023 and then obtained him from the Texans last year. Akers supplanted Ty Chandler as Minnesota’s backup but did not generate much free-agency interest this offseason. The RB has two Achilles tears on his resume, the second coming in 2023.

Between his time in Houston and Minnesota last year, Akers combined for 104 carries for 444 yards and two touchdowns. He made two starts with the Texans, but Joe Mixon‘s return from an early season injury prompted the team to move on. Akers, 26, would be practice squad-eligible as well — though he has not needed to take that route yet in his career.