Rams running back Cam Akers won't play in Sunday's game against the Panthers due to personal reasons, head coach Sean McVay said on Friday. Akers did not participate in practice on Thursday or Friday in preparation for Carolina.
McVay said that the team is working through the situation but declined to speculate on Akers' future with the team.
"We're dealing with things internally," McVay said on the situation, via Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic. "He is gonna be OK."
The 52nd overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Akers ran for 151 yards and a touchdown during the season's first five games. Akers returned for the playoffs last year after tearing his Achilles just before training camp. He started and played in 57% of the offensive snaps during the Rams' win over the Bengals in Super Bowl LVI.
Darrell Henderson Jr. will likely receive a heavier workload with Akers out. A four-year veteran, Henderson has fun for 138 yards and a touchdown this season while averaging 4.1 yards per carry. Henderson ran for 688 yards and five touchdowns and 12 games last season.
Backup running back Malcolm Brown may also receive more work with Akers out. Brown, who is in his second go-around with the Rams after playing for them from 2015-20, has yet to receive a carry this season. The 29-year-old has 331 career regular-season carries under his belt.
The Rams are preparing to face a Panthers team that is just 27th in the NFL in rushing yards allowed. Los Angeles is hoping to get back to .500 after a 2-3 start to the season.
