The Most Interesting Man on the Vikings’ Roster
The Minnesota Vikings’ roster features about 90 players right now, a number that will be reduced to 53 by the start of September.
Isaiah Rodgers joined the Vikings in March, and he’s the most interesting personality on the depth chart.
And while each man has a unique story, one player can be reasonably called the most interested player on the Vikings’ roster based on how he affects the overall depth chart.
He’s Isaiah Rodgers, a new cornerback from free agency and Super Bowl Champion with the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Assumed CB2 Responsibility for Isaiah Rodgers
After re-signing Byron Murphy Jr., the Vikings have added Rodgers and former third overall pick Jeff Okudah from free agency. There was no “buh boom” solution for the CB2 job, so most just believe that Rodgers is in line to fill the role.
Defensive coordinator Brian Flores reportedly urged his team to pursue Rodgers in free agency, likening him to Zach Baun per out-of-nowhere breakout. Nobody knew who Baun was one year ago, and suddenly, he’s a household name in Philadelphia after a fantastic season.
Flores believes Rodgers could be another example of unsung-to-touted.
The main takeaway is that Rodgers is the default CB2 at the moment. Rodgers has never started more than nine games in a season, and his apparent promotion to the Vikings’ QB2 post is … interesting.
The Speed
Following quite the job title for Rodgers, his speed is exquisite. Some Vikings fans haven’t gotten the memo yet, but Rodgers instantly becomes the fastest player on the team.
He ran 4.28 forty leading up to the 2020 NFL Draft, which is almost as fast as a human can run. He’s a cornerback, of course, meaning he doesn’t have the ball in his hands a hell of a lot, but the speed is there.
His speed is actually downright ridiculous.
The Checkered Past and Suspension
In the summer of 2023, ESPN revealed: “A handful of NFL players, including Indianapolis Colts cornerback and kick returner Isaiah Rodgers, are expected to receive season-long suspensions this week for violating the NFL’s policy on gambling, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Wednesday.”
“Rodgers is the subject of a league investigation into possible violations of the league’s gambling policy, including possible bets placed on Colts games. Rodgers acknowledged the situation on social media earlier this month, saying he takes ‘full responsibility’ for his actions. The NFL said last week that it planned to reinforce its gambling policy to players.”
The infraction canceled his entire 2023 season, and it was later revealed that he, indeed, bet on Colts games, his employer at the time.
If Pete Rose were alive, he’d tell you how egregious that is for some. Rodgers rebounded from Pete Rose’s sins after one year.
The Special Teams Angle
Rodgers also plays special teams.
He’s returned 69 kicks for 1,870 yards and a touchdown. Before the league’s rule changes, his 27.1 yards per return were especially noteworthy. Rodgers also has 3 punt returns to his name — just attempts, no touchdowns — and performed the task at the University of Massachusetts from 2016 to 2019.
The Vikings’ main return man, Brandon Powell, has not been re-signed through two months of free agency. Rodgers could be a candidate.
The Bravado
We polled Vikings fans on Twitter about the team’s fastest player. Comically, Rodgers found the tweet and retweeted with a cocky “lol.”
Rodgers knows he can smoke his teammates in a footrace and wasn’t afraid to let them know with a retweet.
The Affordability
Rodgers signed a two-year deal for $11 million. If he turns out to be a starting cornerback, who’s faster than a gazelle, that doesn’t gamble anymore but also plays special teams with a cocky edge to his personality, that’s cheap. Very cheap.
In Philadelphia, he accounted for an 82.1 passer-rating-against, a commendable mark, and if that translates to the Vikings, with perhaps some improvement to boot, $5.5 million per season is a steal.
He’s the league’s 40th highest-paid cornerback.
Other Takes on Rodgers
Janik Eckardt wrote about Rodgers last month, “Rodgers was a 2020 sixth-round pick. Coming out of UMass, his 4.28-second 40-yard dash turned some heads, and the Colts secured the standout returner and cornerback. The Colts used him as their kick returner in all three seasons.”
“On defense, his role grew following a rookie season with barely any action from scrimmage, but he logged about half the defensive snaps in his next two campaigns.”
Youth is on Rodgers’ side, too. He won’t turn 28 until January.
Eckardt added, “Rodgers has played well in limited opportunities. The Vikings bank on the upside and hope he can build a solid cornerback duo with Byron Murphy Jr. or a trio, including Mekhi Blackmon. Of course, the club could also add a cornerback in the draft. For now, it should be expected that Rodgers will compete with Blackmon for the second cornerback job.”
“Rodgers’ speed could lead to some more man coverage on the backend, something Flores could not do consistently in the last two seasons, primarily because of the lack of cornerback talent and youth. The new defender turned 27 in January and hopes to finally become a full-time starter in the league.”
The new corner has stakes that range on a wide scale. He could morph into a tried-and-true starter with speed and all the tools. Or he could be a bargain-bin free agent who never did much for the Vikings.
Most players on the team don’t have that stark variance.
He’s interesting.
Unsung Vikings Rookie Turns Heads
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