It’s Time to Get Familiar with One Minnesota Vikings Defender

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Mason Kinsey (12) evades Minnesota Vikings safety Theo Jackson (25, helmet) during practice in Eagan, Minn., Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023. © Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK. The start of Minnesota Vikings training camp is less than three weeks away. It’s been another busy offseason for the front office, with Kwesi Adofo-Mensah blowing the Gjallarhorn to bring in plenty of newcomers to the roster through free agency and the draft. Reasonably, a few of these acquisitions may have gone under the radar for Vikings fans, but now that we are in the dog days of summer, it’s the perfect time to begin familiarizing ourselves with some of these new names. And according to one Vikings analyst, it’s especially time to get familiar with one Vikings defender. The New Minnesota Vikings Defender Everyone Should Know Minnesota Vikings cornerback Isaiah Rodgers shows off a custom helmet on Instagram. Rodgers signed in Minnesota in March 2025 after stints with the Indianapolis Colts and Philadelphia Eages. Naturally, the new helmet design turned heads. That new Viking is cornerback Isaiah Rodgers. Rodgers, who turned 27 back in January, is entering his sixth NFL season (though he did not play in 2023 due to a violation of the league gambling policy), and he has seen an ever-growing role since entering the league. And according to Alec Lewis of The Athletic, it’s time for fans to stop sleeping on the new Minnesota corner. It’s not just because he brings flair to practice with clean custom helmets; he also brings plenty of talent to the field. Take a look at what Lewis recently wrote to describe Rodgers: “Maybe the most slept-on Vikings defender. He’s athletic. He’s tough. He has ball skills. Rodgers and Byron Murphy Jr. is an underrated cornerback tandem. The question with the room is the depth behind them.” Nov 1, 2020; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Indianapolis Colts cornerback Isaiah Rodgers (34) during the second quarter against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports. Rodgers was selected in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts, so in a lot of ways, he has already exceeded plenty of expectations simply by sticking around into his sixth pro season. But now, the six-year pro is firmly entrenched in a battle to earn a CB2 role for the Vikings in 2025, and it’s a well-earned opportunity based on Rodgers’ NFL play to this point. Prior to things going off track a bit due to the suspension in 2023, Rodgers made nine starts for a 2022 Colts team that was itching for any type of production on the defensive side of the ball. Given the circumstances, he performed admirably, grading out as the sixth-best CB in coverage that year, per PFF.