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Big things were expected from Cam Akers this year until he suffered an unfortunate preseason injury. Akers was ruled out for the year after tearing his Achilles prior to training camp. Darrell Henderson took over as the lead running back for the Rams, and Sony Michel has been emerging towards the end of the season.
A few weeks ago coach Sean McVay said that Akers could potentially return for the playoffs, but didn't want to make any guarantees. So now that we are approaching the NFL playoffs, and the Rams are a lock to make it, will Cam Akers return this season? If so, when is he expected back? Let's take a look for any rehab updates on Akers.
Will Cam Akers Return This Season?
Recently there were reports coming out saying the Akers has been making fast progress, even though he suffered such a serious injury, and that there may even be a chance for him to play again in 2021. This was surprising enough to hear. Then, earlier this week, even more surprising news surfaced about Akers -- the report said that the Rams had designated Akers to return off Injured Reserve.
This didn't guarantee that he would be activated, but gave the Rams a three week window to decide. And then a second report came out on Saturday saying that Akers was actually activated off of IR, yet another surprise in the recovery journey for Akers:
Akers has already been ruled out for Week 16 against the Vikings, and is not traveling with the team. But there is a chance that he can play in Week 17, in Week 18 and in the playoffs. While there are no guarantees that he will play, it certainly looks as if Akers will make a borderline-miraculous return to the field this season within the next few weeks.
Is Cam Akers Worth Picking Up?
It's not certain whether Akers will actually play in the final games of the regular season. Since Akers is already ruled out for Week 16, the fantasy semi-finals, that leaves just Week 17 for him to potentially make a fantasy impact. It's very tough to imagine the Rams giving Akers anywhere near the amount of snaps or touches that would be required to make a fantasy impact. The Rams are a lock for the playoffs, and aren't going to risk injuring their future star running back.
Fantasy managers still alive in the playoffs shouldn't feel the need to run out and add Akers off the waiver wire. The best bet is that Akers doesn't return until the postseason, and even then it's debatable how much of a role he'd actually have alongside Henderson and Michel, who have both been productive at different points this season.
Make sure to check back for further injury news and updates on this situation. Regardless of how this all plays out, the incredibly quick return from Akers has been both surprising and impressive. It will be a great story if he actually makes it onto the field this year, and an all-time great story if he makes a meaningful impact.
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