The trade deadline came and went on Tuesday and Cam Akers is still a member of the Rams.
After more than two weeks away from the team, the third-year running back was back at practice on Thursday. When asked how he felt about returning to the facility and reuniting with his teammates, Akers expressed his excitement.
“I’m in-house,” Akers said, per Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times. “I’m back with the team, so I’m happy.”
Akers, a second-round draft pick in 2020, had been away from the Rams since Oct. 9 after he reportedly butted heads with coach Sean McVay over “philosophical and football-related differences.” The team reportedly tried to trade him ahead of Tuesday’s deadline but found no takers, leaving him with no other avenue but to return to the club in Los Angeles.
Though McVay has commented very little on the rift with Akers, both Rams coordinators discussed the situation on Thursday. Defensive coordinator Raheem Morris spoke about where the running back currently stands with the team and alluded to a disagreement that Akers had with the coaching staff about the Rams’ system.
“We had a disagreement with Cam and our system, right?” Morris said, via Rams Wire. “He stepped away from the building a little bit and now you gotta invite him back into the fold. Sometimes you gotta get away from tough situations to go through some adversity to have that ability to come back and shine.”
When told of Morris’s comments, Akers said, “I don’t think that’s accurate.” He also said that he never asked to be traded or to not be part of the team, calling the possibility of being traded “more of a mutual thing.”
“I never asked to not play,” he said, per Klein. “I never asked to not practice.”
Rams offensive coordinator Liam Coen said that he was happy to have Akers back in the fold, but admitted that he was unsure exactly what the running back’s role would be moving forward.
“Glad to have him back and just see where he’s at,” Coen said, per Klein. “Hopefully we can get him going. If that’s this week and we can get him turned over both physically and mentally to play on Sunday, great.
“If not, then we’ll continue to kind of see how that situation develops and see where it can go moving forward.”
The Rams play the Buccaneers on Sunday. Kickoff is at 4:25 p.m. ET.
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