Salary cap impact of Rams trading Cam Akers to Vikings

Here’s how the Rams trading Cam Akers to the Vikings impacts the salary cap this year

The Los Angeles Rams found a team to trade for Cam Akers on Wednesday, striking a deal with the Minnesota Vikings. The return for the Rams is about as low as it gets – a late-round pick swap in 2026 – but there are salary cap benefits to this deal.

According to Spotrac, the Rams free up $1.29 million in cap space by trading Akers. The Vikings will now be on the hook for the remainder of his contract, which ends after this season.

He does leave behind $673,683 in dead cap because the Rams already paid that out in the form of a bonus and his first two weeks’ salary, but they still net a savings of $1.29 million.

Because Akers’ contract ends after this year, there is no cap benefit in 2024 as he wouldn’t have been under contract next year regardless.

Obviously a 2026 pick swap isn’t much for a former second-round pick, but the Rams didn’t see a place for him on the roster anymore and at least they get some cap relief now.

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