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Isaiah Rodgers had a monster first half for the Vikings on Sunday.
Minnesota Vikings cornerback Isaiah Rodgers put on a show during the first half at US Bank Stadium on Sunday.
Rodgers returned an interception for a touchdown, and he forced and returned a fumble for a touchdown on Sunday. His dynamic defensive performance against the Cincinnati Bengals put him in the Vikings record books for the most defensive touchdowns in a single game in franchise history.
Rodgers eclipsed many greats in Vikings’ history, which goes back to 1961. That list includes Hall of Famers Alan Page, Carl Eller, and Jared Allen.
In addition, Rodgers became the first-ever NFL player to accrue two forced fumbles and touchdowns both an interception and fumble in one game. Rodgers helped the Vikings take a 34-3 halftime lead on the Bengals because of the historic performance.
With Rodgers’ defensive dominance, he tallied 153 yards of return yardage between his 87-yard pick-six and 66-yard fumble recovery. Rodgers also had three tackles and two pass deflections in the first half.
How Isaiah Rodgers’ Made His Big Plays
GettyIsaiah Rodgers had two touchdowns in the first half on Sunday.
The pick-six occurred on a deflected pass when Rodgers took the ball 87 yards down the sideline during the first quarter. Minnesota hasn’t seen a longer pick-six since the 2016 season.
In the second quarter, Rodgers knocked the ball out of Noah Fant‘s hands and took off 66 yards for the touchdown. If that wasn’t enough, Rodgers forced a second fumble, but his teammate, Jeff Okudah, recovered the ball.
Minnesota signed Rodgers as a free agent in the offseason with a two-year, $11 million deal.
Isaiah Rodgers’ Journey Started as a Sixth-Rounder
GettyIsaiah Rodgers looks to stop a pass to Tee Higgins.
A Tampa, Florida, native, Rodgers starred at Blake in Tampa before his collegiate career at UMass from 2016 to 2016, and the Indianapolis Colts selected him as a sixth-round pick in 2020.
Rodgers played 13 games as a rookie with seven tackles, but he had a breakout season in 2021 with the Colts when he tallied 49 tackles, seven pass deflections, and three interceptions in 17 games. His 2022 season regressed with 34 tackles, three pass deflections, a fumble recovery, and four forced fumbles in 15 games, but his career took a further downturn off the field.
After a season-ending knee injury, Rodgers faced a suspension by the league due to violating the NFL gambling policy in 2023. The Colts waived him, and the Philadelphia Eagles signed him in August 2023 while he sat out the season, but it paid off in 2024.
Rodgers helped the Eagles win the Super Bowl last season as a key part of the team’s secondary. He had 22 tackles, two pass deflections, and a forced fumble in the regular season. In the playoffs, Rodgers had three pass deflections, a fumble recovery, and six tackles.
With the Vikings, Rodgers had just nine tackles going into Sunday’s game. He tallied five in the season-opening win against the Chicago Bears and four in the loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Sept. 13.
Minnesota honored Allen that night, but the defense didn’t turn in an Allen-worthy performance amid 22 points and 326 yards allowed. Rodgers and company turned it around in the first half alone on Sunday with the three takeaways and a field goal allowed.
Matthew Davis covers the NFL, WNBA and college sports for Heavy.com. As a contributing writer to the StarTribune, he has also covered Minnesota prep sports since 2016. More about Matthew Davis
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