With Joe Mixon missing three games and Dameon Pierce missing four, the Houston Texans were relying on Cam Akers and Dare Ogunbowale as their primary backs.
Ogunbowale was utilized more as a receiving back and even had a game-winning touchdown catch in Week 4 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Akers did more running between the tackles and had 53 yards on 13 carries in the win over the Jags. He added 42 yards and a touchdown on nine attempts against the Buffalo Bills in Week 5.
Then, Akers was relegated to the bench against the New England Patriots as Mixon and Pierce were back. Mixon ran for 102 yards, and Pierce had 76. Their return to health gave the front office enough confidence to move Akers on Tuesday as he was sent to the Minnesota Vikings in a trade.
Trade! The #Texans are sending RB Cam Akers to the #Vikings, sources say.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 15, 2024
Houston gets a 2026 conditional sixth-round pick in exchange for Akers and a 2026 conditional seventh-round pick.
It’s a reunion for Akers and Minnesota, which also traded for him last season. pic.twitter.com/PlxXuewR6l
The two teams swapped late-round picks in the process, and it's now the second year in a row Minnesota traded for Akers. Last year, he played for the Los Angeles Rams for one game before heading to the Vikings.
He suited up for six games in Minnesota and ran for 138 yards and a touchdown on 38 attempts. His average per rush was just 3.6 which is similar to what he had in Houston this year — 3.7.
A second-round pick in 2020, Akers had 625 yards as a rookie and 786 in 2022. He dealt with several injuries during his time with the Rams and hasn't been able to bounce back to form.