Cam Akers injury update: When will Los Angeles Rams RB return after suffering Achilles injury?

Unfortunate news is coming out of Los Angeles today with Cam Akers having torn his Achilles. The news comes as one of the first major injuries of the 2021 season.

The Rams have a running back room that can absorb this kind of blow, but it hurts them at a time of optimism and jars the team back into reality. Here's a look at Cam Akers' injury situation, what the Rams can do about it, and how it could affect the team going forward.

How long will Cam Akers be out for and what are the Rams doing now?

Most Achilles injuries force the player to miss the season. Cam Akers is no exception. The expectation is that Cam Akers will miss the entirety of the 2021 season.

Rams don't have any immediate plans to pursue a free-agent running back. They believe in Darrell Henderson, like last year's undrafted free agent RB Xavier Jones and also drafted RB Jake Funk in the seventh round this year. For now, they're standing pat, but could revisit later. https://t.co/kkIVXrySFq

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 20, 2021

The Rams have faced this situation before. Todd Gurley previously had a knee issue that hampered his ability to remain as explosive as in years past. The Rams eventually moved on from the running back. That said, right now, the Rams have good depth and are expected to keep Akers around post-recovery.

Currently, the Rams are expected to lean on Darrell Henderson for the season and have no plans to do any major shopping for a replacement. Henderson showed potential in his second season, earning 624 yards and five touchdowns, boasting a 4.5 yards per carry average. Henderson also had 16 catches for 159 yards and one touchdown.

Henderson has shown he can rush and catch. It remains to be seen how he will hold up as a bellcow, which is the Rams' best hope of avoiding a drop in production after Cam Akers' loss. Henderson was drafted in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft, so at one point there was hope that he would be a starter. This is his moment.

How will this affect the Rams going forward?

While Akers will miss all of 2021, he should be back healthy for the start of 2022. He has one full year to recover. However, in his absence, Darrell Henderson has the opportunity to show his abilities. If he can outperform Akers' 2020 season in 2021, he could take over as the starting running back on the depth chart.

Los Angeles Rams v Arizona Cardinals

In his rookie season, Akers rushed 145 times for 625 yards and two touchdowns. Akers was expected to supplant those numbers in his second season. That said, with the unfortunate injury, it will be interesting to see if Henderson can effectively double his numbers now that he is expected to receive most of the carries in place of Akers.