Newcomer Viking Is Apparently Gold in the Locker Room
Did you enjoy Minnesota Vikings running back Cam Akers’ debut on Sunday afternoon?
Well, quarterback Kirk Cousins enjoys the man in the locker room.
Newcomer Viking Is Apparently Gold in the Locker Room
Akers joined the Vikings two weeks ago via trade, swapping the lowest possible package imaginable with the Los Angeles Rams for the former 2nd-Round draft pick. The Vikings sent a conditional 6th-Round draft pick in 2026 to the Los Angeles Rams for Akers and a conditional 7th-Rounder in 2026. In NFL-speak, Akers was essentially free, a steal of a deal for Minnesota.
Then, against the Carolina Panthers three days ago, Akers was given the ball 7 times, banking 51 yards from scrimmage to kick off his purple career. His 7.28 yards per touch against the Panthers was the most by a Vikings running back in his debut game with the team (min. 5 touches) since Adrian Peterson in 2007. And it was the fifth-most in team history with the same statistical parameters.
Behind the scenes, the aforementioned Cousins is impressed with Akers’ presence in the locker room and huddle.
The 35-year-old passer spoke highly of Akers this week, “He was great. He was hilarious. He’s in the locker room talking to himself like, ‘Come on, Cam, you got this.’ He was just really good for morale. And then he gets in the game. I have never played with him, just practice, and he’s in the huddle and doing the same thing. I call a run, and he’s like, ‘You got this, Cam,’ and it was awesome. This guy is really good for morale. And then we called a pass, and he did it again, ‘We got this,’ so anyways, I really appreciate his morale.”
Akers is the Vikings RB2, at least for the time being, with teammate Alexander Mattison retaining the RB1 workload. But before too long, Minnesota could shift to a true RB-by-committee popularized in the NFL during the last decade.
“Sometimes you are in a fight, and it’s a heavyweight deal, and when Cam was in there, it was like, ‘I like this guy. He’s bringing good energy to our huddle and to the line of scrimmage.’ I can roll with this. That was awesome,” Cousins concluded about Akers’ presence.
Akers won a Super Bowl in 2021 with the Los Angeles Rams, a team offensively coordinated by Kevin O’Connell. The man knows a thing or two about winning and likely latched onto O’Connell’s Ramsian offense with little complication.
He’s doing something right. Akers already chewed the Panthers defense up on the ground and through the air while the QB1 complimented him to the utmost.
Akers is scheduled to hit free agency, like Cousins, after the 2023 season.
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Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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