Vikings Acquire First Free Agent of the Year
The Minnesota Vikings have been busy in the last few days, ensuring that some of the in-house free agents are kept in the building. Theo Jackson received a significant raise, indicating that he might be in line for a promotion, Aaron Jones will handle the RB duties for another season, and punter Ryan Wright returns for a fourth season.
Vikings Acquire First Free Agent of the Year
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah teased the fanbase a little in his fourth offseason in charge of Minnesota’s football operation until he finally added his first free agent of the year.
And that signing fills a huge void. Cornerback Isaiah Rodgers is on his way to the Twin Cities, joining a cornerback room that needs two or three new guys.
The Star Tribune’s Andrew Krammer reported, “Source confirms ESPN report that the Vikings have agreed to terms with Eagles CB Isaiah Rodgers on a 2-year deal worth $15 million.”
Krammer’s colleague, Ben Goessling, wrote, “The Vikings are signing former Eagles cornerback Isaiah Rodgers, per source. Played 15 games for the Super Bowl champs, starting three, in 2024 after being suspended in 2023 for violating the NFL’s gambling policy. He recovered four fumbles for the Colts in 2022, and picked off three passes in 2021.”
Rodgers’s annual salary of $7.5 million suggests that he is in line to be the CB2 in Brian Flores’s defense, and another defender will be added to the mix. Charvarius Ward could be an option, just like re-signing Byron Murphy Jr.
The corner came into the league as a sixth-round pick in 2020. The Colts stopped his draft-day fall at pick 211. He played three years for the Colts, appearing in 45 games with ten starts. Rodgers caught three picks in his tenure in Indianapolis.
In the summer of 2023, Rodgers was suspended for the entire season because of violations against the league’s gambling policy. He was then waived by the Colts, and the Eagles signed him, knowing that he wouldn’t play for a year.
Last season, Rodgers was part of Philadelphia’s Super Bowl squad, completing a comeback after one year on the sidelines. He was a rotational cornerback in Philadelphia.
His PFF resume is quite outstanding:
2020: 85.6
2021: 70.7 (25/116 eligible CBs)
2022: 82.1 (5th/118)
2024: 73.2 (24/116)
The Vikings cornerback group now looks like this:
- Isaiah Rodgers
- Mekhi Blackmon
- Dwight McGlothern
- NaJee Thompson
- Reddy Steward
- Kahlef Hailassie
- Nahshon Wright
- Ambry Thomas
Until more players join, the starters are Mekhi Blackmon, a 2023 third-rounder who played well in his rookie season but missed 2024 with a torn ACL, and Rodgers. Dwight McGlothern was excellent in the preseason, but the undrafted rookie barely got any play time during the year.
Rodgers turned 27 in January.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
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Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt