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Cam Akers was retired of show and mostly retired of caput for Rams fans since the moving backmost tore an Achilles tendon successful July, an wounded thought to enactment him retired for the season.
But Rams players and coaches watched Akers spell done rehabilitation successful the grooming country and connected the sideline astatine signifier to effort to bushed the odds.
So erstwhile it was announced Thursday that Akers is adjacent to coming disconnected the injured reserve list, the absorption astatine squad office wasn’t surprise.
Only amazement.
“It wasn’t a astonishment conscionable due to the fact that I’ve seen him spell to enactment since Day 1, since this happening happened,” Rams backmost Matthew Stafford said. “But americium I amazed astatine the advancement he’s made? Absolutely.
“It’s unbelievable, to get his assemblage backmost arsenic accelerated arsenic helium has. I’ve ne'er seen thing similar that for that injury.
“Seeing him determination the mode he’s moving connected the side, and doing each that stuff, is incredible.”
Barely 5 months aft Akers was injured successful a pre-training-camp workout, helium was cleared to signifier and designated for instrumentality from IR, giving the Rams 21 days to determine whether to activate him.
Coach Sean McVay said the Rams volition show however Akers responds to practice, but near small uncertainty helium volition beryllium disposable astatine immoderate constituent successful the past 3 weeks of the regular play oregon the playoffs.
“I deliberation you privation to beryllium cautious, but I bash spot him being activated,” McVay said. “He’s earned the right, the mode that he’s approached this rehab.”
Akers wasn’t connected the tract successful Thousand Oaks connected Thursday erstwhile the Rams went done a jog-through signifier successful what McVay called “the torrential downpour that we ne'er person here.”
The Rams (10-4) tin clinch astatine slightest a wild-card spot successful the playoffs if they triumph oregon necktie against the Minnesota Vikings (7-7) successful Minneapolis connected Sunday, oregon if the Philadelphia Eagles and New Orleans Saints some suffer oregon necktie their games this week.
They’d emotion to person Akers backmost to effort to repetition his show successful the archetypal circular of past season’s playoffs, erstwhile helium rushed 28 times for 131 yards and a touchdown and caught 2 passes for 45 yards successful the Rams’ 30-20 triumph astatine Seattle.
That was portion of the seven-game tally astatine the extremity of Akers’ rookie play successful which the second-round draught prime from Florida State averaged 92.1 yards rushing and 21 receiving and established himself arsenic the Rams’ No. 1 backmost heading to grooming camp.
Akers’ wounded connected July 19 near Darrell Henderson successful the No. 1 role, and prompted the acquisition of Sony Michel successful a commercialized with the New England Patriots. Henderson has averaged 61 yards per crippled erstwhile healthy. Michel has averaged 42.6 (but 97.3 portion starting the Rams’ 3 consecutive wins).
“The more, the merrier,” said Stafford, who has yet to play a crippled with Akers. “It’s specified a carnal position. At immoderate constituent on the way, somebody’s going to beryllium dealing with something, probably.”
McVay praised surgeon Dr. Neal Elattrache, Rams vice president of sports medicine and show Reggie Scott and the grooming and spot unit for their roles but chiefly praised Akers himself for his recovery.
The manager said helium knew successful October that Akers was making progress. It didn’t marque Thursday’s improvement immoderate little impressive.
“He’s a freak,” McVay said.
STAFFORD SNUBBED?
If Stafford was upset astatine losing retired to Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady and Kyler Murray successful Pro Bowl voting by NFL players, coaches and fans, helium didn’t accidental it successful truthful galore words.
“I conscionable spell astir my day, proceed to hole and effort to play arsenic bully arsenic I perchance tin for the guys successful our locker country and our coaching unit and our fans,” Stafford said Thursday. “That’s however I consciousness astir it, to beryllium honorable with you.”
McVay said Stafford is “a Pro Bowler to me, without a doubt.”
Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp, antiaircraft tackle Aaron Donald, cornerback Jalen Ramsey and kicker Matt Gay were named Pro Bowl starters connected Wednesday.
Stafford, near tackle Andrew Whitworth, halfway Brian Allen and extracurricular linebacker Leonard Floyd were named Pro Bowl alternates.
COVID CORNER
Rams information Jordan Fuller is owed to travel disconnected the COVID-19 reserve database Friday due to the fact that he’ll scope 10 days without symptoms.
Tight extremity Tyler Higbee, present the lone Rams starter connected the list, hits 10 days connected Monday.
The Rams’ COVID database is down to six players aft the activation Thursday of choky extremity Johnny Mundt and antiaircraft backs Antoine Brooks, JuJu Hughes and Jake Gervase. Mundt is inactive connected injured reserve. Gervase is connected the signifier squad.
NOTES
Rams antiaircraft tackle Greg Gaines (ankle) sat retired practice, and cornerback Darious Williams (back) was limited, according to the wounded study Thursday. … With rainfall continuing, McVay said Friday’s signifier volition beryllium moved to SoFi Stadium, which has a canopy. It volition beryllium the archetypal signifier astatine the stadium this season. … Vikings moving backmost Dalvin Cook was placed connected the COVID-19 reserve database Thursday. McVay expressed nary pleasance successful Sunday’s hostile losing its three-time 1,000-yard rusher. “I don’t privation to spot immoderate guys spell connected the COVID list, due to the fact that I person a existent knowing and empathy for what an annoyance this happening truly is, particularly if guys are asymptomatic,” McVay said. “I don’t privation to minimize the sensitivity to erstwhile guys really get sick and things of that nature. But this crippled is astir competition. You privation to spell against the best.”
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