The Minnesota Vikings have agreed with the Houston Texans to trade for running back Cam Akers. NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero reported that the Vikings will receive Akers and a 2026 conditional seventh-round pick. Meanwhile, the Texans will get a 2026 conditional sixth-round selection.
It’s a win-win transaction because trading Akers removes the logjam in the Texans’ running back depth chart. Dare Ogunbowale becomes their third option from the backfield after Joe Mixon and Dameon Pierce.
Meanwhile, the Vikings did not trade for the Akers because Aaron Jones wasn’t playing according to expectations. In fact, Jones has 350 rushing yards, 167 receiving yards, and two touchdowns in five games. However, Minnesota gets another player familiar with head coach Kevin O’Connell’s system.
Akers played for O’Connell when the latter was the Los Angeles Rams’ offensive coordinator for two seasons. The running back from Florida State had some success during his first year under O’Connell, tallying 625 rushing yards, 123 receiving yards, and three touchdowns in 13 games.
Unfortunately, after an impressive rookie year, his 2021 campaign lasted only one game due to a season-ending Achilles tendon tear. That season, the Rams won Super Bowl LVI over the Cincinnati Bengals.
Trade! The #Texans are sending RB Cam Akers to the #Vikings, sources say.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 15, 2024
Houston gets a 2026 conditional sixth-round pick in exchange for Akers and a 2026 conditional seventh-round pick.
It’s a reunion for Akers and Minnesota, which also traded for him last season. pic.twitter.com/PlxXuewR6l
The Vikings also traded for Akers and a conditional 2026 seventh-round draft pick before the 2023 season. In return, the Rams received a conditional 2026 sixth-round selection. He played in only six games during his first stint with the Vikings, tallying 38 carries for 138 rushing yards and a touchdown.
Akers signed with the Texans this offseason before reuniting with O’Connell and the Vikings. He will provide depth to Minnesota’s backfield, which currently has Jones, Ty Chandler, and Myles Gaskin. If all goes well, Akers can play in the Vikings’ Week 7 game against their division rival, the Detroit Lions.
-Lance Fernandez