Running back Cam Akers is now officially a New Orleans Saint, having signed a one-year deal on Friday, per Nick Underhill of neworleans.football and the NFL transaction wire.
Akers, who turns 26 on June 22, is joining his fourth team in three years. After stints with the Houston Texans and Minnesota Vikings in 2024, he earned a contract following a minicamp tryout with the Saints earlier this week.
Cam Akers sported jersey No. 38 during Saints minicamp practices this week. As of now, there’s no information on the financial terms of his one-year deal or whether he’ll stick with that number when training camp opens next month.
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The Saints didn’t bring in Cam Akers to lead their backfield—they signed him to compete for a complementary role alongside Alvin Kamara, something the team has lacked in recent years.
Akers brings interior power, past production, and the kind of quickness he flashed early in his career that could suit the role well. But reclaiming a meaningful role won’t come easy.
He’ll have to outperform a crowded group that includes veterans Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Kendre Miller, whose own career has been limited by injuries. On top of that, New Orleans added Kansas RB Devin Neal in the sixth round, undrafted rookie Marcus Yarns from Delaware, and even brought in Velus Jones, who offers positional versatility.
Summary:
Akers is a frontrunner to be the top backup, but Edwards-Helaire and Miller could push him hard. Neal is the rookie to watch, while Yarns and Jones are on the roster bubble. The Saints’ backfield will be one of the more competitive rooms in training camp.
