Rams' McVay: Cam Akers to Be Benched amid NFL Trade Rumors; Kyren Williams to Be RB1

The Los Angeles Rams made a big switch at running back Sunday by rolling with Kyren Williams as the starter and turning Cam Akers into a healthy scratch.

It appears that will be the case moving forward, as head coach Sean McVay noted after his team's 30-23 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

"It is more about, I'm always going to make decisions that I think are in the best interest of our football team," McVay said, per ESPN's Sarah Barshop. "I have tremendous respect for Cam Akers, but I felt like for our football team today and in this game and as we move forward, that was going to be the best decision for us."

Earlier Sunday, Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reported Akers was on the trading block and that the Rams were calling around the league looking for a new home for him.

As for Akers, he appeared confused about the trade rumor and benching:

This isn't the first time Akers has been involved in trade rumors. Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, Akers requested a trade last season to his reported dissatisfaction with his role in the team's offense and even stayed away from the Rams for the few weeks as they looked for suitors.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network also gave more insight on each season's trade talk.

A trade never happened last year, and Akers ended up assuming the RB1 role by the end of the season, even scoring three touchdowns in a Christmas Day win over the Denver Broncos. In fact, he gained 408 total yards over his final three 2022 games, gaining over 100 yards on the ground each time.

However, it appears one could happen this time around with the Rams clearly committed to Williams moving forward.

"[I] felt like that was best for our football team," McVay said. "It felt like Kyren [Williams] gave us the best opportunity. And what Ronnie [Rivers] and Royce [Freeman] have done. So that was a decision that I made."

From a production standpoint, it's hard to argue with McVay's decision. Williams, a former Notre Dame star in his second NFL season, managed 100 total yards and two touchdowns on 20 touches versus the 49ers. That was a follow-up to a 52-yard, two-touchdown performance the week before in a win over the Seattle Seahawks.

The Rams, who have started the season 1-1, will now visit the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday, Sept. 25. Williams will be leading the backfield, while Akers could very well have a new team by then. If not, L.A. has until the Oct. 31 deadline to deal him.