Although the 2022 season is not what the Los Angeles Rams wanted, they’ve at least started to see growth out of their young players. Perhaps the most important development for the Rams has been the reemergence of Cam Akers.
It’s only been a couple of months since Akers and the team seemed destined to part ways over internal disagreements, but the running back has since returned to form.
Akers played a large part in Los Angeles’ most recent win against the Denver Broncos, scoring career-high three touchdowns in the blowout. Head coach Sean McVay discussed Akers and how pleased he’s been with him, via Stu Jackson of TheRams.com:
“I think he’s just gone about his business the right way,” Rams head coach Sean McVay said. “(He) really attacked every single day, like I mentioned yesterday, he deserves a ton of credit. I thought guys played well around him yesterday and then I also think (Assistant Head Coach/ Tight Ends Coach) Thomas Brown’s leadership for that group has been really helpful. It was great to be able to see Cam play the way that we know he’s capable of.”
The 2023 season will be a redemption year for the Rams and it seems that Akers’ stretch has earned him a role going forward:
“I think that right now with what he’s done continuing to build on that momentum, I think it’d be silly based on what a great job he’s done to think of it anything differently than him being a big part of what you want to be able to do moving forward, but you just take it a day at a time,” McVay said. “But that certainly, I think is something that we’ve worked through and there’s totally a different trajectory in terms of what he’s done and the way that he’s handled himself and the way that he’s playing like we know he is capable of and hopefully you just continue to see him build on it these last couple weeks and into next year for the Rams.”
It’s a rare positive turn of events for L.A. and Akers, but a welcomed one considering the organization was banking on the running back being their long-term solution when they took him in the second round. The running game has been anemic for most of the year, but Akers has single-handedly turned it around and hopefully he can carry that momentum into next year.
