Isaiah Rodgers Sr. was on the cusp of emergence before an unforeseen newsbreak hit the internet midday yesterday on Tuesday, June 5th, 2023. After the initial report provided anonymity to the player in question, soon thereafter it was discovered that said player is indeed Isaiah Rodgers Sr.
While it remains uncertain as to what punishment(s) Rodgers Sr. will receive, from what we do know based on a recently similar incident, is that Rodgers Sr. is looking at a year-long suspension, at the very least.
A Mistake
We are all humans, nobody is perfect. We have all made mistakes in our lives at one time or another. Isaiah Rodgers Sr. is human as well, and he has made a big mistake. As Destin Adams has reported, Rodgers Sr. is under review for betting numerous times on NFL games including his own team, the Indianapolis Colts.
Sources have told me that the #Colts player under investigation for multiple gambling infractions is CB Isaiah Rodgers Sr. pic.twitter.com/a5x1uKGQff
— Destin Adams (@TheDestinAdams) June 5, 2023
Now before I get started, I want to make sure to mention that he knows he made a mistake as he already has apologized via his social media:
— Isaiah Rodgers Sr. (@rodgers_isaiah) June 6, 2023
So please, let’s all be human as well and not try to make it worse for him than it already is. He knows he has messed up and is preparing to face the consequences, we don’t have to push him while he’s down. Now let’s get into how this impacts himself and the Colts.
Gambling in Sports
Gambling in sports is nothing new. We all know the story of Pete Rose in the MLB and Tim Donaghy in the NBA; if not, they are good stories to read! Not only has it been in other sports but even as recently as these past couple of years we have seen a few cases in the NFL.
Obviously, Calvin Ridley is the biggest name that comes to mind as he got suspended indefinitely while betting on his team to win (along with other games) while he was taking a mental health break from football. While this started as an indefinite suspension, this offseason, Ridley applied for reinstatement and was able to return after serving for one season.
This offseason though, has started a new wave of suspensions as the league is cracking down hard on the players betting. The Commanders had one player and the Lions had four players get suspended, including 2022 first-round pick WR Jameson Williams. Two of the players, including Williams, have only been suspended for 6 games because they were betting on non-NFL games but they were betting while on NFL premises. The other three were suspended for a full year and two of the players who played for the Lions got released after the suspension got announced.
Where does Rodgers Sr. fit in?
Where will Isaiah Rodgers Sr. fill into this conversation once it’s all said and done? It is honestly hard to say, as it has been reported that Rodgers has bet “hundreds” of times, including multiple on Colts games. I would lean that it will likely be more in line with the Calvin Ridley indefinite suspension, with the possibility of it being more than a full season given the number of bets that have been made.
Based on his contract, the Colts really won’t have a big incentive to keep him on the team moving forward. If he does get cut, and the suspension lasts for longer than a season, it would be hard to tell if he gets a job on another team again. I know most Colts fans would deny that, being that Rodgers is a fan favorite, but we have seen from the team and the coaches that he hasn’t got the playing time so far even though the fans have wanted it. While this season could have been a different story due to Stephon Gilmore leaving, we may now never know the answer to what he could’ve done if he was starting for a full season.
Where do the Colts go from here?
Whether the Colts decide to keep Rodgers Sr. or not, the team has to prepare to be without him for at least the 2023 season. We just have seen the team draft three CBs in this past draft, but the experience in the room outside of Kenny Moore is very lacking.
Most NFL experience among the Colts CB Room:
– Kenny Moore II (SLCB): 4,710 def. snaps
– Tony Brown: 438 def. snaps
– Kevin Toliver II: 327 def. snaps
– Dallis Flowers: 174 def. snaps– Julius Brents: 0
– Darius Rush: 0
– Jaylon Jones 0
– Darrell Baker Jr: 0
– Cole Coleman: 0— Noah Compton (@nerlens_) June 6, 2023
On Twitter, the fan base has been split since the news broke on whether they want the rookies to get more experience or if the team should look and get a veteran-free agent for the rookies to learn from.
The #Colts suddenly have a void to fill at CB… are you team sign a vet or do you want all the young guys to get reps?
— The Blue Stable (@TheBlue_Stable) June 6, 2023
Whether you are on Team Vet or Team Rooks, that’s a debate for Twitter and another article. For this article, all that I will say is I can see them going either route. Playing the rookies this year would essentially say we are playing for the future and not worrying about contending this year. If the team starts rookie QB Anthony Richardson, then this may make the most sense for the long term. If they are hoping to win some close games, and potentially try to sneak into the playoff hunt, then signing a free-agent veteran would be the way they would want to go.
Isaiah Rodgers has made a mistake, one that is likely to be very costly to him. While he has not been a full-time starter on the Colts, this upcoming suspension will have a ripple effect on not only him but the entire team. This mistake will lead to the team having to make some more important off-season decisions on if they want to throw their young guys into the fire and let them learn by playing, or if they need to bring in someone to help teach the young guys.
More from The Blue Stable:
Make sure to keep up with Jay Robins’ 2023 Stat Projection article series as the 2nd episode in the series will be published on Thursday, June 8th. In the meantime, be sure to check out his pilot episode, if you haven’t already, which covers the QB Room, and more specifically, projects Anthony Richardson’s rookie campaign. The pilot episode in question can be found: HERE
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