The Minnesota Vikings running back situation officially went from bad to worse over the past week. The room has become decimated since the season kicked off.
One week after Jordan Mason landed on Injured Reserve with a thumb injury, fellow back Aaron Jones Jr. landed on the injury report with a knee injury. The ailment forced him to miss practice on Wednesday.
While it’s at least a good sign that he returned to practice in a limited capacity today, his status for Sunday’s game against Tampa Bay will still be up in the air if he can’t get in a full practice tomorrow. One man thinks they could bring back a familiar face if there’s any doubt that he’ll suit up against the Buccaneers.
“I see the team possibly turning to a familiar face as Jones and Mason heal up: Cam Akers,” VikingsOnSI’s Jason Harmon wrote. “Although this has become a meme, it still makes sense for the Vikings to continue their now-annual tradition of bringing in Akers by signing the current free agent. He has familiarity with the franchise and O’Connell’s offensive scheme. Akers rushed for 454 yards and two touchdowns on 107 carries while converting 21 catches into 122 receiving yards and another two scores in parts of three seasons with the Purple and Gold.”
Cam Akers Has Enjoyed A Few Stints With The Vikings
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell was the Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator when they selected Akers in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He had a solid rookie season with the Rams, gaining 625 yards on the ground and 123 through the air in 13 games. He also reached the end zone three times.
O’Connell remained with the Rams in 2021, but Akers played in only one regular-season contest that year after tearing his Achilles in the offseason. However, he made a strong enough impression on the coach that O’Connell traded for him (albeit a late-round pick swap) in the 2023 campaign. Akers ran for 138 yards and added 70 more through the air in six games with the Vikings that season.
From there, Akers signed with the Texans in the 2024 offseason. However, he played only five games in Houston before the Vikings again agreed to a late-round pick swap to bring him back on board that season. He played in 12 games, running for 297 yards and adding 10 catches for 52 yards (and 2 receiving TDs).
He also spent time on the Vikings practice squad last season and was called up to play in three games. Akers only saw limited playing time and finished the year with 5 attempts for 19 yards. It’ll now be interesting to see whether they go back to the well for a fourth stint. However, I think a recent addition might prevent them from going that route.
Can Jerome Ford Make An Early Impact?
The Vikings opted to sign veteran running back Jerome Ford to the practice squad on the same day Mason landed on IR. The 27-year-old might now be three years removed from his breakout 2023 campaign in Cleveland, when he put up 1,132 yards from scrimmage and reached the end zone nine times, but he still showed promise over the past two seasons.
At this point, it feels like they chose Ford over Akers, as the latter is still available. While he’s not someone they’d ideally want to lean on in the running game, you could make a strong case that he’s more dependable than either DeeJay Dallas or sixth-round rookie Demond Claiborne.
If Jones is forced to miss the team’s Week 3 contest, then Ford could put the brunt of Minnesota’s rushing attack on his back.
NFL Analyst Urges Vikings To Bring Back Familiar Name To Cure RB Woes