The Minnesota Vikings have addressed their underwhelming rushing game by making a trade with the Los Angeles Rams that saw them acquire running back Cam Akers.
As part of the agreement, the Vikings will be getting Akers and a conditional seventh-round pick while sending a sixth-rounder to the Rams. The two teams will also swap sixth-round picks in 2026.
The Vikings moved on from their Pro Bowl running back Dalvin Cook in the offseason, deciding to put their faith in backup Alexander Mattison for the upcoming season. However, Mattison struggled to make his mark in the first two weeks, rushing only for 62 yards while fumbling the ball twice in a 34-28 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Speaking with reports on Thursday, the Vikings’ offensive coordinator Wes Phillips said that the acquisition of Akers doesn’t mean that Mattison lost his starting job. However, he reiterated the team’s determination to improve their running game, which produced a league-worst 69 rushing yards so far in 2023.
“We know we have to be better in the run game,” Phillips added. “A lot of that starts with us, and the players fundamentally. All those things we’ve addressed, and from what I saw [Wednesday] in the first practice, I think it will improve dramatically.”
Akers rushed for 1,443 yards and 10 touchdowns since entering the league in 2020. He entered this season as the Rams’ starting RB but ended up losing the job to Kyren Williams by Week 2.
