4 Options at RB for the Vikings After Cam Akers’ Injury
Josh Frey
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The Minnesota Vikings have gone through a litany of injuries throughout the first half of the 2023 NFL season.
The latest big injury happened during their Week 9 victory over the Atlanta Falcons as RB Cam Akers suffered a torn Achilles tendon, thus ending his season.
Moving forward, the Vikings will have to spell Alexander Mattison with a different RB in the backfield for the rest of the season. Here are four options at RB for Minnesota heading into Week 10 against the Saints.
Ty Chandler/Kene Nwangwu
It seems that, at least for Week 10, the Vikings will be content with riding with some combination of Ty Chandler and Kene Nwangwu in the backfield alongside Mattison against the Saints. Wes Phillips was asked on Tuesday about the Vikings running back situation, and he responded with the following:
“I think just naturally you’re gonna see more Ty Chandler. Kene has been a guy who was up for a game and has made plays for us both in the return game and then in the run game in the past, so we’ve got some options there and certainly feel good about those guys.”
The problem with this duo is we simply haven’t seen much of them throughout their NFL careers, at least on the offense. Chandler has has 13 touches for 85 yards during 2023 while Nwangwu is yet to play a snap with the offense, partially due to lingering injuries.
DeWayne McBride
There is also the Vikings 2023 seventh-round pick, DeWayne McBride. The running back came to Minnesota after a strong three-year career at UAB where he recorded 484 carries for 3523 yards and 36 TDs over 30 games.
McBride was a very elusive back throughout his collegiate career, making him an intriguing NFL prospect. However, after a preseason in which he recorded 20 carries for 70 yards and a pair of touchdowns, the rookie has been sitting on the practice squad awaiting his opportunity.
Perhaps with Akers going down, this is finally McBride’s shot. If Nwangwu’s injury continues lingering, and the Vikings don’t fully trust Chandler to be the RB2, it wouldn’t be too surprising if he gets elevated for a game somewhat soon.
Myles Gaskin
An old Vikings friend is back on the free agency market and could be back in Minnesota following the Akers news. Myles Gaskin was waived from the Rams practice squad earlier this week following their Week 9 loss to the Green Bay Packers.
Gaskin signed with the Vikings back in August and began the season in Minnesota. He appeared in two special teams snaps during their Week 2 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles before going through a multi-week gymnastics session of hopping back and forth from the practice squad and active roster.
Then, the Rams scooped him up off the Vikings practice squad and played six special teams snaps in their loss to the Dallas Cowboys a couple weeks ago. If the Vikings want an option who is already very familiar with their playbook, Gaskin would be a solid option to add depth to the group.
James Robinson
This feels highly unlikely given how the past year-plus of James Robinson’s career has gone, but options are getting thin if the Vikings need to look for outside help. At the very least, Robinson has been on practice squads across the league over the past few years.
The running back burst onto the scene as an undrafted rookie in 2020 and totaled over 1000 yards rushing along with 7 rushing TDs. He also caught 49 passes for 344 yards and 3 receiving TDs in 2020. Since then, it’s been a downward trajectory for Robinson, and he totaled just 110 carries for 425 yards and a 3 TDs during 2022.
Most recently, Robinson was with the Green Bay Packers, who stashed him on their practice squad. They waived the 25-year-old on Monday, and he is now on the open market waiting for his next opportunity.
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Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.