Vikings RB Akers suffers injury to left Achilles

ATLANTA — Minnesota Vikings running back Cam Akers suffered an injury to his left Achilles on Sunday, coach Kevin O’Connell confirmed after the team’s 31-28 victory over the Atlanta Falcons.

“I can’t confirm the severity at this time,” O’Connell said, “but that is what we’re fearing.”

It would be the second such injury for Akers in his four-year career. He tore his right Achilles tendon in the first week of the 2021 season while playing for the Los Angeles Rams, forcing him to miss the rest of the regular season.

But he became one of the first prominent NFL players to undergo the SpeedBridge surgical procedure, helping him cut his recovery time from the typical nine to 12 months to 5.5 months and return in time for the 2021 postseason.

The Vikings acquired Akers from the Rams in Week 3 to serve as a backup for, and eventually share backfield duties with, starter Alexander Mattison. He rushed eight times for 25 yards Sunday before the injury, including a long of 19, and caught three passes for 13 yards.

In six games with the Vikings this season, Akers totaled 138 yards and one touchdown on 38 carries. If further tests confirm an Achilles tear, the Vikings likely will turn to Ty Chandler as Mattison’s backup.