The Philadelphia Eagles have garnered a reputation for making big-money moves this offseason, but there was an under-the-radar signing last season that could soon pay huge dividends. The team signed CB Isaiah Rodgers who was released by the Indianapolis Colts following an NFL-imposed suspension for gambling on league games. Fast forward to 2024, and a new dawn is approaching.
Jeffrey Lurie is optimistic of Isaiah Rodgers’ chances of playing for the Eagles in 2024
“I’m hopeful,” Jeffrey Lurie told reporters today when discussion the suspension of Isaiah Rodgers. “He’s a key part of our planning going forward and it was a smart move by Howie to acquire Isaiah. Very optimistic he’ll be fully on board very soon.”
Who is Isaiah Rodgers?
Rodgers was originally a sixth-round selection in the 2020 NFL Draft. It didn’t take long for him to make waves with the Colts, scoring a huge 101-yard kick return TD against the Cleveland Browns just 5 weeks into his rookie season. It was clear he had plenty of upside on special teams, and potentially defensively too.
He served as Indy’s primary kick returner over the next 3 years, totaling 1,645 yards on 61 returns. That averages out at around 27.41 yards per return. For context, the league leader in kick returns last year (5+ attempted) was Dameon Pierce at 32.1 yards per return. Rodgers’ career-average would have easily placed him among the top returners in the league, and with the new kickoff rules set to shake things up this season, his presence could be invaluable.
Defensively, Rodgers played in 48% of snaps in 2022 before suffering a knee injury that landed him on IR in week 16. He’d bounce back and play in 43% of snaps in 2023. Over those two years, he averaged 6.6 yards per target, picked off 3 passes, batted down 10 more, and combined for 90 tackles. To say he’s serviceable at the NFL level would be an understatement.
During his time with the Colts, he of course overlapped with Nick Sirianni, who would later become the Head Coach of the Philadelphia Eagles. This likely played a role in Howie Roseman’s aggressiveness to signed the player who was suspended for gambling activity on NFL games, which he later revealed were bets he placed for others.
With his potential reinstatement coming, the DB has been active on X citing just how hungry he is to return to the field
How will his return impact the Eagles?
At 5’10, Rodgers might be better suited to a slot role, which makes sense for a couple of reasons. The first being that it’s unlikely the team moves on from the starting tandem of Darius Slay and James Bradberry, and the other is that the Eagles allowed Avonte Maddox to walk into free agency, leaving a hole at the starting nickel spot.
The Birds did bring in Tyler Hall, who has experience playing in the nickel and it’s very plausible that Rodgers is allowed to compete with him for a role this Summer. Whether the Eagles will actively look to add a higher-floor option between now and Training Camp remains unknown, but there are two players currently on the roster with starting experience who could contribute, and one would assume that the special teams prowess Rodgers brings to the table gives him a slight edge.
We don’t yet know when the decision on his suspension status will be made, but if Jeffrey Lurie is confident not only in his reinstatement, but his ability to contribute for the Eagles, that has to count for a lot.
Don’t sleep on Isaiah Rodgers, who could become a key cog on this team if afforded the opportunity.
AP Photo/Matt Slocum
