Eagles sign CB Isaiah Rodgers, who is suspended for the 2023 season for violating the NFL's gambling policy
The Colts released Isaiah Rodgers earlier this year after the NFL announced his suspension
The Philadelphia Eagles are taking a chance on suspended cornerback Isaiah Rodgers.
The Eagles announced on Monday that they signed a deal with Rodgers, who was released by the Indianapolis Colts earlier this year after he was suspended indefinitely for violating the NFL’s gambling policy.
Rodgers is suspended for at least the entire 2023 campaign, and he can’t apply for reinstatement until after the season. In theory, he’d join the Eagles for the 2024 season.
Eagles have signed CB Isaiah Rodgers, who was subsequently placed on the Reserve/Suspended list and Waived DT Noah Elliss with an injury settlement. pic.twitter.com/ArE3Iew44W
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) August 28, 2023
The terms of his deal are not known. He was placed immediately on the reserve/suspended list.
Rodgers was suspended indefinitely for at least a year in January for violating the league’s gambling policy. He was one of four suspended at the time along with then-Colts defensive end Rashod Berry, then-Lions defensive tackle Demetrius Taylor and Titans offensive lineman Nicholas Petit-Frere. The Colts quickly waived Rodgers and Berry afterward.
Rodgers reportedly made about 100 bets between $25 and $50. He allegedly placed a $1,000 wager on an over/under rushing yards prop bet involving a Colts running back, which he reportedly won.
The league made another wave of gambling-related suspensions earlier this summer.
The NFL had previously suspended then-Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley for the 2022 season for violating the gambling policy. He has since been reinstated and will play this season for the Jacksonville Jaguars after a trade from Atlanta. Ridley’s suspension was the first since the widespread legalization of sports betting in the United States in 2018.
Rodgers started nine games for the Colts last season, his third in the league after Indianapolis selected him in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He had 34 total tackles last season, and was used frequently on kick and punt returns. The 25-year-old was set to enter the fourth and final year of his initial four-year, $3.4 million deal with the team this fall before he was waived.
Though he won’t be able to play right away, the Eagles clearly think Rodgers can make a meaningful impact for them down the road.