The Seattle Seahawks have been a haven for former Minnesota Vikings players, including quarterback Sam Darnold. However, after a surprising roster shakeup on Friday, several former Vikings are on waivers.
On Thursday, December 11, the Seahawks waived former Vikings starting cornerback Shaq Griffin and running back Cam Akers. A 2017 third-round pick by the Seahawks, Griffin earned Pro Bowl honors in 2019 before moving on after his rookie contract.
Griffin spent time with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Texans and Carolina Panthers before he joined the Vikings in 2024. Griffin was a starter in nickel packages as the Vikings’ third cornerback behind Byron Murphy Jr. and Stephon Gilmore. He broke up six passes and notched two interceptions, playing 597 snaps for Minnesota. Griffin has bounced between the practice squad and gameday roster this season for Seattle, appearing in just two games before his release.
Akers has also been a favorite of the Vikings franchise, having landed in Minnesota as an emergency signing for he past three seasons. Akers signed with the Vikings in September and played in three games before he was released on November 22. He did not appear in a game for Seattle.
Akers and Griffin’s departures leave only Darnold and Myles Gaskin as former Vikings in a Seattle organization that has nearly locked its spot in the playoffs.
Vikings’ Back-and-Forth History With Cam Akers
For three consecutive seasons, the Vikings acquired Akers midseason, yet the former second-round pick has not participated in Vikings training camp.
In 2023, the Vikings were not getting the production they wanted from Alexander Mattison and Ty Chandler, leading to a trade to acquire Akers from the Los Angeles Rams.
Kevin O’Connell’s history with Akers made him an ideal candidate to help out the running game right away, which he did until suffering a season-ending Achilles injury.
Since then, Akers hedged his efforts to win a larger role elsewhere but ultimately found himself back in Minnesota. He spent the 2024 offseason with the Texans before he was traded midseason and spent last summer with the New Orleans Saints. He didn’t make the 53-man roster in New Orleans, prompting the Vikings to sign him in free agency.
While Akers found himself earning playing time right away the past two seasons, this year was different, given the depth of the Vikings’ running back room. Aaron Jones, Jordan Mason and the emergence of Zavier Scott left little on the bone, leading to Akers’ release in November.
Kevin O’Connell Shares Honest Thoughts on Akers
For those expecting another move to Akers in the future, it wouldn’t be an absurd bet to place.
O’Connell shared his thoughts on the can’t-quit-him bond between Akers and the Vikings.
“Cam has something inside him that allowed him to push through the adversity of what’s happened to him over the course of his career,” O’Connell told reporters in December 2024, referring to Akers overcoming three Achilles injuries in his career. “He loves football, I think he loves being a Minnesota Viking, he loves his teammates. His teammates were probably the most excited all season when Cam scored on that screen and then, obviously, the catch late.
“He just brings something. Brings physicality, brings a level of mental and physical toughness that I think makes us all better. We’ve got a lot of examples like that on our team,” O’Connell added. “But Cam’s just another one of them that I feel very fortunate to have him on this team.”
Akers reciprocated those feelings.
“It’s a blessing, especially coming from KO, a person who has seen first-hand my journey,” Akers said, per ESPN’s Kevin Seifert. “It’s a blessing to be able to have a coach like him, a personable coach like him. I’m going to try to run through a wall for him every chance I get.”
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Seahawks Announce Surprising Release of Former Vikings Starter appeared first on Heavy Sports.