This former Rams RB may be in line to start for his new team in Week 3

Cam Akers could be the Texans’ RB#1 this weekend with Joe Mixon and Dameon Pierce sidelined

Former Los Angeles Rams running back Cam Akers appears in line to start this weekend for the Houston Texans while Joe Mixon and Dameon Pierce are not practicing due to injury. Houston is set to take on another one of Akers’ former teams in the Minnesota Vikings this weekend at US Bank Stadium.

Akers hasn’t started a game since Week 1 last season when he opened as the lead back for the Rams and carried the ball 22 times to Kyren Williams’ 15. His hold on the starting role was short-lived, as Akers was inactive for LA’s Week 2 contest against the San Francisco 49ers and then traded to the Vikings ahead of Week 3. He made his Vikings debut in Week 4 and then suffered an Achilles injury in Week 9. This Achilles rupture occurred on the other leg from his 2021 injury he suffered just before the opening of training camp with the Rams. Akers did return in time to contribute in the playoffs that season, which was an accelerated recovery timeline considering the severity of Achilles injuries.

Last week against the Chicago Bears, Akers rushed seven times for 32 yards (4.6 average) with his longest run going for 13. He earned his spot on Houston’s roster by leading the team in rushing over the preseason with 24 carries for 112 yards (4.7 average) and a long of 23. He also caught eight passes for 61 yards and a touchdown.

Akers still seems like a talented player despite the two Achilles injuries, and he may have an opportunity this weekend to show that he still deserves to be a starting NFL running back. Can he effectively step in for Mixon and Pierce and help CJ Stroud lead the Texans to a win over the Vikings?