The very first outside free agent who agreed to terms with the Vikings when the NFL’s legal tampering period opened a few weeks ago was former Eagles and Colts cornerback Isaiah Rodgers.
A former sixth-round pick with just 13 career starts, Rodgers is a relatively unheralded player despite coming off a Super Bowl victory with Philadelphia. The thing he might be most known for is being suspended for the entire 2023 season for violating the league’s gambling policy. The news of his signing generated some buzz because it was the first thing the Vikings did on that busy Monday, but it was quickly overshadowed by the additions of bigger names like Ryan Kelly, Will Fries, Jonathan Allen, and Javon Hargrave.
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But when evaluating this Vikings offseason, Rodgers isn’t a guy who should be overlooked. Although it’s a sample size of less than 1,500 defensive snaps, the 27-year-old has put up very impressive tape and excellent PFF grades over the course of his career. The best football of his career may be in front of him in Minnesota.
One compelling reason to be excited about Rodgers? Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores had major conviction that he was a guy they should bring into their building, Kevin O’Connell said on Tuesday at the annual league meeting in Florida. And Flores is usually pretty accurate when he gets that way about a player, O’Connell added.
“Isaiah was a guy that Flo really identified pretty early,” he said. “And historically, I haven’t been doing this long with Flo, but when Flo kinda has that tone in his voice about guys — I’m not gonna mention the other ones that he has had that in his voice about — but he’s been pretty darn accurate. And that guy, whether playing for us or somebody else, has immediately shown up. So no pressure on Isaiah, but he definitely got that evaluation from Flo.”
Since Flores was hired as Minnesota’s DC in 2023, the Vikings’ free agent additions on his side of the ball have included Byron Murphy Jr., Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, and Blake Cashman. Other less-heralded players — guys like Jihad Ward and Shaquill Griffin — have also played well.
Rodgers figures to see a significant role this season in a Vikings cornerback room that also includes Murphy, Mekhi Blackmon, Jeff Okudah, and others. One of the main things he brings to the table is speed, O’Connell said.
“I think he’s got the ability to make plays on the football, he’s got some ability to do something with it when he does catch it. Whether he ends up being a part of the return game or not is really just going to come down to how the rest of our roster shapes out. Because I see Isaiah being an every-down impact guy.”
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Will Ragatz is a senior writer for Vikings On SI. He is a credentialed Minnesota Vikings beat reporter, covering the team extensively at practices, games and throughout the NFL draft and free agency period. Ragatz attended Northwestern University, where he studied at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. During his time as a student, he covered Northwestern Wildcats football and basketball for SB Nation’s Inside NU, eventually serving as co-editor-in-chief in his junior year. In the fall of 2018, Will interned in Sports Illustrated’s newsroom in New York City, where he wrote articles on Major League Baseball, college football, and college basketball for SI.com.
