Eagles cornerback Isaiah Rodgers reinstated by the NFL

Good news.

The Philadelphia Eagles got some good news on Tuesday afternoon with the NFL officially reinstating suspended cornerback Isaiah Rodgers.

Rodgers is permitted to join the team’s voluntary offseason workout program effective immediately. He now counts towards the Eagles’ 90-player roster limit.

The NFL suspended Rodgers in late June last year after he (among other players) violated the league’s gambling policy. He was eligible to apply for reinstatement after Super Bowl LVIII.

There was some question if Rodgers would be allowed to return since the NFL reinstated some other players last week and he notably wasn’t part of that group. But Eagles owenr Jeffrey Lurie previously expressed confidence in resolution to Rodgers’ situation, saying he was “very optimistic” about reinstatement.

Clarity is now upon us; Rodgers is back. And it’ll be interesting to see how the 26-year-old fits on the Eagles moving forward.

As a refresher, Rodgers has logged 10 starts in 45 career games played. He’s produced three interceptions, 10 passes defensed, and one forced fumble since entering the league as a 2020 sixth-round pick. His season-by-season snap counts:

• 2020 — 51 defense (6% of team total), 141 special teams (41%)
• 2021 — 525 defense (48%), 181 special teams (41%)
• 2022 — 430 defense (43%), 172 special teams (43%)

Rodgers has taken the vast majority of his defensive snaps as an outside cornerback. He’s played just 31 career snaps in the slot despite the fact his smaller size (5’10”, 170 pounds) suggests he could profile as a nickel option. Consider that Avonte Maddox is listed at 5’9”, 184.

The guess here is that Rodgers is more likely to compete for an outside cornerback job but it’s possible he’ll take reps both inside and outside. We’ll see. With a strong offseason showing, Rodgers could conceivably earn a starting job. Or at least a top backup role. There could be plenty of competition at corner with James Bradberry still on the roster, Kelee Ringo potentially taking a leap in Year 2, and the Eagles in position to pick a cornerback within the first three rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft.

It’ll also worth noting that Rodgers could factor in as a kick returner. His 61 career returns have resulted in a 27.0 average and one touchdown, which is above average. The NFL’s new kickoff results have potentially increased Rodgers’ value, giving him another avenue to make the roster.

Expectations for Rodgers must be tempered to some extent since he’s coming off a year not playing football and he’ll be adjusting to a new team/scheme. But he could end up being a nice addition. Will be interesting to see how he fares in OTAs and training camp.