Cam Akers May Sign with Hated Vikings Rival
Much to some fans’ chagrin, the Minnesota Vikings have not made it simple by re-signing running back Cam Akers this offseason.
Cam Akers’ name popped up this week — and he might sign with one of the Vikings’ nemeses.
The man whom the Vikings have traded for in back-to-back regular seasons remains a free agent and can sign anywhere in the business, with the regular season just 12 weeks away.
And if Akers plays his cards right, he might become the newest member of the New Orleans Saints this week.
Unsigned Vikings RB Cam Akers to Meet with New Orleans
Akers will audition for New Orleans’ roster this week, a bit of a strange development because Akers has enough of an NFL resume to sign with a team outright. But he must prove it, evidently.
NBC Sports‘ Charean Williams wrote Monday, “Free agent running back Cam Akers will participate in the Saints’ minicamp on a tryout basis, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reports. Akers, 25, spent last season with the Texans and Vikings. Between the two teams, he rushed for 444 yards and two touchdowns on 104 carries and added 14 catches for 68 yards and three touchdowns.”
“The Rams made Akers a second-round pick in 2020, and he played in Los Angeles until the team traded him to the Vikings during the 2023 season. He signed with the Texans last offseason, and Houston traded him to Minnesota on Oct. 15.”
Onlookers should learn Akers’ fate in New Orleans by the end of the week.
The Saints’ RB Room
Here’s what New Orleans has in their current RB room before the prospect of adding Akers:
- Alvin Kamara
- Kendre Miller
- Devin Neal
- Clyde Edwards-Helaire
- Velus Jones Jr.
- Xazavian Valladay
- Marcus Yarns
New Orleans will retain three or four of those men for the regular season roster, with one or two possibly hitting the practice squad at the end of the summer.
In reality, with this lineup, Akers would vie for the RB4 job against Edwards-Helaire or RB3 if Miller gets waived.
Why No Reunion in Minnesota?
Some have wondered why the purple team hasn’t re-signed Akers through three months of free agency. It’s clear — beyond the shadow of a doubt — that the team’s leadership adores Akers’ skill set and locker room presence. Why else would a team trade for the same player in back-to-back seasons?
Instead, Minnesota has Aaron Jones, Jordan Mason, Ty Chandler, Tre Stewart, and Zavier Scott on the expanded 90-man roster entering the summer. Based on the way Minnesota has conducted business in 2023 and 2024, it’s a little weird that it didn’t re-sign Akers from free agency, as evidence suggests the coaching staff values Akers over Chandler.
It’s a Vikings-themed mystery.
The Trade Joke
Upon learning of Akers’ tryout in New Orleans, Daily Norseman comically tweeted, “BREAKING: The Vikings have traded a conditional 2026 sixth-round pick to the Saints in exchange for Cam Akers and a conditional 2026 seventh-round pick.”
The tweet pays humorous homage to Minnesota’s ardor for Akers via trade, backhandedly predicting another swap this fall.
Saints-Themed Media’s Take on Akers
SaintsWire‘s John Sigler wrote about the Akers audition, “This could be interesting. It’s not uncommon for teams to bring in free agents for tryouts like this at the start of the summer; the Saints did just that with another running back, David Johnson, a few years back.”
“But Akers still has a lot of tread left on his tires. He’ll turn 26 on June 22 and has only logged 502 carries in his five-year pro career. He’s clearly very talented as a former five-star high school recruit. He just hasn’t been able to put it together in the NFL. And it might be now or never for him.”
New Orleans also worked out former Minnesota defensive tackle Jonathan Bullard last week, though no contract has materialized.
Sigler added, “He’s been traded in each of the last two seasons, from the Rams to the Vikings and from Minnesota to Houston, without ever establishing himself as his new team’s top option. But the Saints don’t need him to do that. They just need to see whether he can be an effective complement to Alvin Kamara.”
“They brought back guys like Kendre Miller and Clyde Edwards-Helaire while adding rookies Devin Neal and Marcus Yarns to that competition, plus Velus Jones Jr. and Xazavian Valladay. They were in on Nick Chubb before he signed with the Texans, too. Maybe Akers shows them something they’ll like in this extended tryout.”
Akers will turn 26 later this month.
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