Rams RB Cam Akers defied all expectations last year when he returned in Week 15 after tearing his achilles in the offseason. It was an injury that should have kept him out of the 2021-22 season, but Akers wasn’t hearing it.
He didn’t suit up until Week 17, and while he was hardly on the field (13 snaps), he did manage to get involved in both the rushing and pass attack. He totaled three yards on five attempts and brought in three receptions for another 10 yards. The numbers may not jump off the statsheet, but his appearance was impressive enough.
Expectations were low heading into the playoffs, but on Super Wild Card Weekend that changed. Akers was on the field for 53% of the Rams offensive snaps, rushing the ball 17 times for 55 yards while grabbing a single reception that he took for another 40.
During Los Angeles’ Super Bowl run, Akers totaled 172 yards on the ground and 76 in the air. He may not have been an impact player on every snap, but his speed and versatility helped open the door for the Rams to win SBLVI in their home stadium.
Heading into 2022, Akers will be RB1 for Los Angeles and he’s bringing his playoff run with him, but not because he’s proud of it, rather because he knows he can do better. “I just wasn’t happy with my overall postseason performance,” Akers said. “Every playoff game, even the one game in the regular season, I just felt like I left a lot on the field. There was more out there to be had.”
Health Analysis – Akers’ comeback last season proved he possesses a unique resiliency that separates him from his competition. But because of his achilles injury, there is still some risk he isn’t 100%. For now, his Injury Risk is Elevated (18%) and his Health Performance Factor is Peak (84%). He isn’t a premier back yet, but can bolster any team by being picked up in the third round.
