Report: Vikings will re-sign Cam Akers if he passes physical

Akers suffered a torn Achilles – the second of his career – late last season...

Oct 1, 2023; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Cam Akers (31) with the ball in the third quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports / Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

One of the sneaky-good competitions to watch unfold at training camp later this month and in August will be at running back. Aaron Jones and Ty Chandler are the unquestioned top-two backs on the roster, but the third running back should be solved through healthy competition.

Who's in the running? Kene Nwangwu, Myles Gaskin, DeWayne McBride and possibly Cam Akers, who is working his way back from a second torn Achilles in his young career.

"If running back Cam Akers, recovering from Achilles surgery last November, passes an upcoming physical, look for the free agent to re-sign with the Vikings," reports Charley Walters of the Pioneer Press.

Akers, 25, has already had more time to recover from his November Achilles injury than he did before returning from the same injury in 2021. If you'll recall, it was July 2021 that Akers suffered a torn Achilles while performing box jumps while signed with the Los Angeles Rams. He miraculously recovered and was cleared to play in the final game of the regular season (Jan. 9, 2022) and he played in every Rams playoff game including the Super Bowl against the Bengals.

Akers had 38 carries for 138 yards in six games after being traded from the Rams to Minnesota midway through last season.

Nwangwu is primarly a kick returner while Gaskins is a journeyman scat back and McBride is entering his second season in the NFL after being picked in the seventh round by the Vikings. Akers, a second-round pick in 2020, has always had big upside when healthy and he logically makes sense as a strong No. 3 running back if he's able to overcome his latest setback.