The Minnesota Vikings appeared to have made a rare find in cornerback Isaiah Rodgers early in his first season with the franchise, but that success now looks like it was merely a mirage.
Kevin Seifert of ESPN on Wednesday, December 10 detailed the recent demotion of Rodgers from starting cornerback to a hybrid role, in which he plays mostly in nickel sets (five defensive backs on the field).
“It has been in the past two games where Rodgers has given way to Jay Ward, who is a cornerback but also mostly a safety in their base defenses,” Seifert reported. “And Rodgers is coming in on the nickel.”
Rodgers came to Minnesota after a career spent mostly as a reserve. He had appeared in 60 total games, but started just 13 of those.
The Vikings — who have swung and missed at cornerback via both the draft and free agency several times in recent years, at best hitting a couple of slap-singles while trying to fill out the position (save for Byron Murphy Jr.) — paid Rodgers $11 million over two seasons in the hopes he could step up into a starting role.
At first, the move was going swimmingly. During a Week 3 contest blowout of the Cincinnati Bengals, Rodgers registered two pass breakups, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, an interception and two defensive touchdowns in one of the best games any cornerback has ever played in NFL history.
However, he has defended only one pass since and has not replicated any of those other statistics a single time across the last 10 games.
Jay Ward’s Promotion Spells Trouble for Isaiah Rodgers’ Future With Vikings
GettyMinnesota Vikings safety Jay Ward.
Rodgers’ lack of dynamic playmaking isn’t even the main reason defensive coordinator Brian Flores has ushered him into a reserve role.
“Rodgers was a big-time free agent pickup for the Vikings last offseason. … They were very excited about his playmaking ability,” Seifert continued. “But as the season wore on, he really struggled making tackles in the open field specifically. His coverage was OK, but the tackling really struggled, and Jay Ward is better at that.”
All that said, Ward isn’t likely the answer Minnesota is seeking at the position for years to come.
“I don’t think Jay Ward projects as a longterm cornerback for this team in future seasons, but you also wonder if Isaiah Rodgers does, either,” Seifert said.
Vikings Projected to Select Elite Cornerback in First Round of 2026 NFL Draft
GettyCornerback Mansoor Delane of the LSU Tigers.
Minnesota profiles as one of the more likely franchises to pursue a cornerback in the first round of the 2026 draft given the team’s deficiency at the position.
Field Yates of ESPN on Wednesday projected in his first mock draft of the season that the Vikings will select Mansoor Delane out of LSU with the No. 11 overall pick.
“He has excellent size for the position (6-foot, 190 pounds) and thrives using force at the catch point to disrupt the ball,” Yates wrote. “Delane is at his best playing off coverage and reading the quarterback, though he is also a willing run defender who could thrive in Brian Flores’ aggressive system. When targeted as the primary coverage player this season, he surrendered the third-lowest completion percentage in the FBS (27.8%).”
Delane is the first cornerback off the board in Yates’ mock, while he projects as the second defensive back overall (Ohio State safety Caleb Downs to the Los Angeles Rams at No. 9).
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