Houston Texans sign free agent running back Cam Akers, per report

NFL running back Cam Akers has officially found a new home in the league. And he signed with a team that’s expected to field one of the league’s most explosive offensive attacks in the 2024-2025 campaign. The Houston Texans signed the free agent to a deal on Sunday, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Akers worked out with the Texans on Sunday, and they decided it was enough for them to sign him. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2, Houston worked out former Patriots and Buccaneers running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn today, before agreeing to terms with Akers. Vaughn has rushed for 384 yards and two touchdowns with 14 catches for 81 receiving yards and one score.

Most recently, Akers spent time with the Minnesota Vikings. He’s had a decent NFL career thus far, but has had to deal with multiple Achilles injuries. In 36 games so far, he’s rushed for 1,581 yards and 13 touchdowns.

As a receiver, he’s hauled in 38 catches for 320 receiving yards and one touchdown. His most productive season thus far came with the LA Rams in 2022, when he had 188 rushes for 786 yards and nine touchdowns. As a receiver, he finished with 13 catches for 117 yards.

Akers tore his Achilles while working out shortly before the start of training camp in July of 2021. He was expected to miss all of the 2021 campaign. The former Florida State star was one of the first players to receive what is known as the SpeedBridge surgery, which shortened his recovery time from 12 months to five months. He was able to return to action in Week 18 against the San Francsico 49ers. In the Super Bowl, Akers finished with 13 carries for 21 rushing yards, while hauling in three catches for 14 receiving yards in the Rams 23-20 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

In 2023, Akers was the Rams’ starting running back in Week 1 against the Seattle Seahawks, carrying the ball 22 times for 29 yards, scoring a one-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. He was listed as inactive in the Rams’ Week 2 game against the 49ers, which made Kyren Williams their starting running back.

On September 21, 2023, the Rams traded Akers and a conditional 2026 seventh round pick to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for a conditional 2026 sixth-round pick. Akers was listed as inactive for Week 3. In his debut for Minnesota against the Panthers, the former Florida State star rushed for 40 yards on just five attempts as well as two catches for 11 yards. The Vikings won that game 21-13. But unfortunately for Akers, in Week 9 against the Atlanta Falcons, he suffered an injury to his left Achilles. Minnesota placed him on the injured reserve list on November 8th, 2023.

During his time with Florida State, he finished with 2,875 total rushing yards and 27 touchdowns. As a receiver, he had 69 carries for 486 yards and seven touchdowns. In two of those years, he finished with more than 1,000 rushing yards (2017 and 2019), earning third team All-ACC honors in 2017 and second team All-ACC honors in 2019.

Cam Akers put together an incredible high school career

Akers was a prolific back during his high school days and one of the most sought-after players in America.

During his time at Clinton High School (Clinton, Mississippi) Akers was one of the most prolific running backs in America. He earned a five-star+ ranking from the On3 Industry Rankings in the 2017 cycle, while also being tabbed as the No. 2 overall running back in the country. Akers brought in a number of extensive accolades and honors, including being named to the U.S. Army All-American Bowl and earning the U.S. Army Player of the Year Award, given to the nation’s most outstanding high school football player.

He helped propel the Clinton Arrows to their first ever state title in football in 2016. During his four-year career, he finished with 8,140 passing yards and 78 touchdowns, while rushing for 5,103 yards and 71 touchdowns.

Among other accolades, Akers was named Mississippi’s Mr. Football for Class 6A and the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year in 2016. His numbers that season were flat out incredible, throwing for 3,128 yards and 31 touchdowns, while also rushing for 2,105 yards and 34 touchdowns.

Once he chose Florida State, he picked them over offers from Ole Miss, LSU, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, and many others.