The Los Angeles Rams are looking to repeat as Super Bowl champions in the 2022 NFL season. After a strong offseason, in which they made an already strong roster even better, it's not far-fetched to see them making yet another run for the Lombardi trophy this season.

Most of the Rams roster from last season will be back again to try to run it back for the second straight season. Star players such as Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, Aaron Donald, and Jalen Ramsey make up one of the best all-around rosters in the NFL. In a weakened NFC, the Rams stand out as one of the only legit Super Bowl contenders in their conference.

While the returning players and new additions are exciting to look at, the Rams X-factor for their 2022 season is a player who missed of the 2021 season, and then struggled when he returned the field. Let's look at who this player is and why he could end up having such a big impact on the Rams upcoming season.

Rams X-factor: Cam Akers

Cam Akers burst onto the scene late in the 2020 season for the Rams. He had a coming out party of sorts against the New England Patriots, when he picked up 194 total yards on 31 touches. He nearly replicated the performance in the playoffs against the Seattle Seahawks, when he picked up 176 total yards and a touchdown on 30 touches. Akers looked set to become one of the best running backs in the NFL heading into the 2021 season.

Unfortunately, Akers ended up tearing his ACL shortly before the start of training camp. He would make a miraculous return right before the Rams postseason run, and played in all four of their playoff games. Akers' production wasn't exactly good, though, as he turned his 67 playoff carries into just 172 yards, good for a paltry 2.6 yards per carry. It's clear the Rams need Akers to be better this upcoming season.

Akers is heading into the 2022 season as L.A.'s top running back, with Darrell Henderson lurking behind him as a threat to steal carries. It's telling that Akers received the majority of the Rams touches out of the backfield when he returned last season, but it didn't help that he got thrown right into the fire after missing virtually the entire regular season.

As a result of his poor postseason play, Akers is the biggest question mark on the Rams roster heading into the 2022 season. Nobody knows what to truly expect from him after he struggled last season. Will he be the explosive version of himself he was towards the end of the 2020 season, or will he be the borderline unplayable back he was during the Rams 2021 playoff run?

Akers upside is tough to miss, but it remains to be seen how effective he can be in his return from his ACL injury. He certainly didn't look like the same player late last season, although it's fair to wonder whether or not he rushed himself back in order to help Los Angeles' playoff run.

There are a lot of questions surrounding Akers, and it's clear he will determine just how effective the Rams offense will be during the 2022 season. If he plays like he did during the 2020 season, it's tough to see how another team will boast an offense better than L.A.'s. But if he struggles like he did last season, the Rams will have a hole on their offense that needs to be fixed.

For the most part, the Rams have sounded encouraged with Akers progress throughout the offseason and training camp. But it won't really mean anything until Akers takes the field and proves that he is back. For both Akers and the Rams, there's a lot riding on this season.

If Akers struggles, the Rams can rest assured knowing they have Henderson backing him up. Henderson has proven he can handle a starting workload throughout his career, but it's clear their offensive ceiling is limited the more time Henderson spends on the field. He simply doesn't have Akers' upside, and while he's good in certain situations, the Rams will be better served using him in the backup capacity they intend on using him in this season.

The Rams are going to want to take some of the stress off of Stafford and Kupp this upcoming season after they shouldered a huge load for the team last season. If Cam Akers can consistently establish himself as a runner out of the backfield this season, that will go a long way in helping the Rams enact that plan. But if he struggles, L.A. may be up a creek finding a suitable replacement in their running back room.