There’s a familiar joke among Minnesota Vikings fans — at which point on the calendar will the team sign running back Cam Akers? And thanks to the Seattle Seahawks, that joke will be alive and well this spring and summer.
Minnesota knows Akers well, but its current RB room makes another reunion less urgent.
Seattle dumped Akers on Monday, two days after the NFL draft.
Akers Returns to the Open Market
Yes, the Vikings can now sign Akers if they’re in the mood.
Akers Out in SEA
That’s it for Akers in Emerald City, at least for now. Seattle Times‘s Bob Conodotta wrote Monday, “The Seahawks released veteran running back Cam Akers on Monday in the wake of selecting Jadarian Price in the first round of the NFL draft on Thursday. Akers, a seven-year NFL veteran, signed to the Seahawks’ practice squad last November after an injury to George Holani.”
“He played in three regular-season games and in the NFC title game win over the Rams without getting a carry. He had two kickoff returns for 54 yards in a late-season win at Carolina. The release of Akers leaves the Seahawks with six running backs on the roster — Price, Zach Charbonnet, Holani, Kenny McIntosh, Jacardia Wright and free agent signee Emanuel Wilson.”
Akers will now bide his time for his next NFL team, with the Vikings obviously being a possible landing spot because of their ardor for the man.
Making Room for Price & Akers’s Career Bio
Draft heads projected Price as a 2nd-Rounder, but with so few urgent roster needs, the Seahawks splurged on him, a wise choice, given Charbonnet’s late-season injury in 2025. Price figures to pull down an RB1 or RB2 workload sooner rather than later, and with that upcoming, there’s evidently no room on the 90-man roster for Akers.
Once a promising second-round pick by the Los Angeles Rams in 2020, Akers has experienced significant movement in recent seasons, notably including the multiple stints with Minnesota. One of these was very brief in 2025, where he played only eight offensive snaps and seven on special teams.
His comprehensive NFL journey, including recent and projected future stops, is as follows:
- Los Angeles Rams (2020–2023)
- Minnesota Vikings (2023)
- Houston Texans (2024)
- Minnesota Vikings (2024)
- New Orleans Saints (2025)
- Minnesota Vikings (2025)
- Seattle Seahawks (2025)
At 26, Akers has accumulated 2,044 rushing yards on 507 carries (4.0 yards per attempt) and 17 total touchdowns over six seasons, along with 52 receptions for 388 receiving yards. His durability, however, is particularly remarkable. While two Achilles tears typically end a running back’s career, Akers has consistently battled back to secure a spot on NFL rosters.
The Vikings’ Current RB Setup
Do the Vikings need Akers? They do not. But in years past, Akers didn’t necessarily feel like a priority either, and he somehow found his way onto the roster. Here’s the current RB room in Minnesota after the draft:
RB1: Aaron Jones
RB2: Jordan Mason
RB3: Demond Claibonre
RB4: Zavier Scott
RB5: Kejon Owens
Theoretically, if Akers landed in Minnesota again soon, he’d hope to snatch the RB4 job from Scott because Jones, Mason, and Claiborne probably aren’t going anywhere.
The Viking Age‘s Adam Carlson on Akers: “Of course, Minnesota should be in no rush to sign a running back since the team needs to evaluate its young running backs before making any changes to the roster. If Akers is still available after training camp, he could be a solid, familiar face to add to the roster.”
“Time will tell whether fate brings Akers back to the Minnesota Vikings for another reunion, but one thing is certain: the former Florida State running back seems to help bring success to any franchise that he is a part of.”
The History with Akers
From September 2023 to present, the Vikings have signed Akers twice from free agency (July 2024 and September 2025) and traded for him twice (September 2023 with the Los Angeles Rams and October 2024 with the Houston Texans).
He’s their guy. They can’t quit him.
In the last three years, anytime a reserve running back, like Ty Chandler, got too close to the RB2 or RB3 job, Minnesota seemed to put its foot down and acquire Akers. While the running back room feels full right now, an Akers signing can never be ruled out when Kevin O’Connell runs the Vikings.
He’s arguably best known for this catch as a Viking that helped secure a win over the Green Bay Packers in 2024:
Akers will turn 27 in June. He’s the proud owner of two Super Bowl rings (Rams, Seahawks).
