The Pittsburgh Steelers' already-favorable schedule just became slightly more favorable. According to multiple reports, including Destin Adams reporting on it first, Isaiah Rodgers is being investigated for numerous violations of the gambling policy. Rodgers was the return man, as well as a depth cornerback for the Indianapolis Colts. Steeler Nation might remember him as one of the returners that tormented the Steelers' kickoff team.
He didn't have an impact as a corner in that game, but he has shown flashes on defense in other games. Unfortunately, those chances seem to be all but over now.
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Update: #Colts CB/ST Isaiah Rodgers has been identified as the player being investigated for possible violations of the NFL's gambling policy, as @TheDestinAdams reported. Rodgers has played 1500+ total snaps in 3 years and started 9 games last season.https://t.co/RMWLKw4hKb
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) June 5, 2023
On Monday, there were reports of an unnamed Colts player that was being investigated for gambling. As mentioned earlier, multiple reports claimed that Rodgers was the player that made roughly 100 bets on the NFL, including bets involving the Colts. The Colts have not made a comment on the investigation yet, as expected. Rodgers was also supposed to play in the final year of his rookie deal, but it appears that he won't play on it at all, or maybe even ever.
The penalty for betting on NFL games is a minimum of a one-year suspension. Calvin Ridley was given this suspension but has since been reinstated into the league. Many players and staff from the Detroit Lions were also suspended, but some of them were just six games for betting on other sports while on NFL property. Despite all this, it seems that Rodgers will miss more than a year.
Photo Credit: Lon Horwedel / USA Today Sports
Detroit Lions wide receiver, Jameson Williams during warmups prior to a 2022 regular season game.
Rodgers didn't just bet on NFL games. He bet on many Colts games. Some of the bets were reportedly at least $1,000, although it is undetermined whether those bets were on Colts games or not. Either way, making 100 bets, including some on your own team, is a terrible look. Everything is on the table for Roger Goodell and the NFL, including a lifetime ban, similar to Pete Rose in the MLB.
While betting on your league's games is a bad look, making bets involving your own team is even worse, and Goodell likely won't hesitate to ban him from the NFL, at least for multiple years. Even if Rodgers' suspension isn't an outright ban, it will be tough for him to find another job on an NFL team. For a player whose biggest attribute is speed, it will be hard to keep his skillset up while being out of the league for potentially multiple years. Even if it's not a lifetime suspension, his career might be over.
How Does This Impact The Steelers?
The Steelers will play the Colts during Week 15. However, the kickoff return game likely won't be much easier, as Dallis Flowers is slated to be the return man without Rodgers in the lineup. When Chris Boswell tried to keep the kickoff away from Rodgers, Flowers was also able to burn the kickoff coverage unit. The Colts could also utilize Isaiah McKenzie on returns, especially if Flowers gets more playing time at cornerback.
Credit: Matt Freed/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Pressley Harvin III and Chris Boswell celebrate a successful Field Goal attempt
Speaking of cornerbacks, Rodgers was supposed to at least compete for the starting outside cornerback role. Instead, there will be competition between Flowers, second-round rookie Julius Brents and fifth-round rookie Darius Rush. The Steelers' wide receiver core would probably love to expose the youth and inexperience at cornerback for the Colts, as well as the rest of their schedule. There's still plenty of time for them to develop and learn, but it will still be difficult to match up against Pittsburgh's high-end receiving core.
The Colts already have to try and fill Stephon Gilmore's shoes after he got traded to the Dallas Cowboys. Rodgers was supposed to help fill his shoes, but now his shoes will also need to be filled. Even though it's still possible to fill both their shoes, it's not ideal at all. If the suspension does have an end, Rodgers might not even be able to find a practice squad role.
Rodgers eventually tweeted out his own statement on Monday night, admitting to his mistakes without outright saying that he gambled, although that's probably implied enough. Hopefully, his remorse will convince the NFL to not ban him forever, as he will likely have a hearing on the situation. Rodgers did take responsibility for all the bets he made, and how he didn't take the NFL very seriously. Instead of learning from Ridley or the Lions, he has to learn from his own mistakes.
What do you think about Isaiah Rodgers' mass-gambling scandal, as well as the implications it could have for the Colts, Steelers and the NFL as a whole? Let us know in the comments below.
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