The Minnesota Vikings featured Isaiah Rodgers on the cover of the Week 7 media guide ahead of the game vs. the Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles and Vikings will meet on Sunday in Minneapolis, and the biggest storyline could be Carson Wentz at quarterback or the impact of Isaiah Rodgers at the cornerback position. Rodgers will play a role in defending A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, but most of the conversation will center on whether the talented cornerback should still be in Philadelphia. Rodgers resurrected his career with the Eagles and then headed to the NFC North after agreeing to a 2-year, $15 million deal with the Minnesota Vikings.
Ed Kracz of Sports Illustrated recently reported that Philadelphia was somewhat aggressive in its attempts to re-sign Rodgers after it appeared no effort was made.
“Through various conversations, it’s been learned that the Eagles prioritized not only bringing back linebacker Zack Baun, but Rodgers, too. They got one of two done, but couldn’t reel in Rodgers. On Monday, two days before the start of free agency, it was leaked that Rodgers had agreed to a contract with the Vikings. A two-year, $15 million deal was announced on March 13. It’s unclear whether Rodgers’ representation ever gave the Eagles a chance to match the offer, but it’s likely the Eagles would have at least matched since $7.5 million per year for two years wasn’t an exorbitant amount even in an offseason where the organization preached fiscal sanity.”
Rodgers disputed that notion during a Wednesday night exchange on X, where he stated, “Don’t believe the media.”
The home team prints a media guide for each game, and with Philadelphia in Minnesota, the Vikings put Rodgers on the cover for Week 7.
With Rodgers and Slay departing, Philadelphia gambled that Kelee Ringo’s athleticism would be the primary reason he could assume the position. The Eagles added Adoree’ Jackson in free agency. Then they traded for Jakorian Bennett this summer, a move that came as the front office began to realize the strategy might not be effective.
While Ringo and Jackson have struggled, Rodgers has been solid with the Vikings, making history in the process.
In Week 3, Rodgers had one of the greatest individual defensive-player games in team history, as he was the first Vikings defensive player to score two touchdowns in a game. He also earned a perfect 99.9 Pro Football Focus grade, the highest for any player since 2006.
Rodgers has exhibited elite cornerback performance early in his first season as a full-time starter. After five games, he ranks as a Top 4 cornerback in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus (minimum 100 snaps). His overall grade of 82.2 is slightly lower than his grade in coverage, which stands at 86.1. In Week three, Rodgers achieved the first “perfect” game grade of 99.9 since PFF began its data collection in 2006. In coverage, Rodgers has allowed only 11 receptions on 21 targets, totaling 96 yards, with zero touchdowns and a passer rating of 44.9 against him.
