The Minnesota Vikings made a slew of free agent deals during this year’s legal tampering period, and one addition in particular flew under the radar.
Landing veteran cornerback Isaiah Rodgers — a player with 14 career starts who lost his entire 2023 season to a gambling suspension — on a two-year deal worth under $12 million didn’t exactly move the needle for fans and the national media.
Inside the Vikings organization, however, it was a completely different story.
Despite the modest contract, Rodgers was a priority for GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah — and specifically for defensive coordinator Brian Flores, who’s been tracking Rodgers since he played at the University of Massachusetts. That tracks, as Flores was an assistant on Bill Belichick’s defense with the New England Patriots when Rodgers was playing at nearby UMass.
Flores was “all-in” on signing Rodgers to Minnesota’s depleted secondary this offseason, and so far, the returns have been favorable, per ESPN’s Kevin Seifert:
“Rodgers demonstrated why the Vikings pegged him as a likely starter despite a relatively obscure career since the Colts selected him in the sixth round of the 2020 draft,” Seifert wrote. “Rodgers displayed playmaking ability, jumping an out route and intercepting quarterback J.J. McCarthy, while also showing speed as a kickoff returner.”
The top position battles entering Vikings training camp, which kicks off later this month, will come in the secondary, as starting and reserve/special teams roles are up for grabs at both safety and corner. Minnesota’s CB2 job feels set in stone, however, with Rodgers expected to man that spot opposite Byron Murphy Jr., with Jeff Okudah firmly in the mix to be the starting nickel corner.
Rodgers is fresh off a Super Bowl championship with the Philadelphia Eagles. He filled a reserve role for Philly, logging 421 total snaps on defense and another 163 on special teams. He was needed in the Divisional Round of the playoffs when star rookie Quinyon Mitchell went down in the first quarter with a shoulder injury. Rodgers was picked on by Matthew Stafford and the Rams in that game, and while L.A. completed some big gains against him, Rodgers was in prime position for pass breakups on those plays. He finished the year with a solid 70.5 coverage grade from PFF and, again, he was probably even better than that.
The Vikings clearly saw value in Rodgers’ market, which was surprisingly team-friendly. The Eagles are thin on cornerback depth as well, so swiping a key contributor from their league-leading defense from 2024 is a win in itself.
If Flores is right and Rodgers emerges as an every-week starter on the outside this season, the Vikings could boast one of the bigger free agent steals of the 2025 league year.
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