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3 players whose season is being wasted by the struggling Colts

By Jacob Mummert

Oct 30, 2022; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle Grover Stewart (90) celebrates a tackle for a loss in the second quarter against the Washington Commanders at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 30, 2022; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle Grover Stewart (90) celebrates a tackle for a loss in the second quarter against the Washington Commanders at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 6, 2022; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Indianapolis Colts cornerback Isaiah Rodgers (34) returns the ball against the New England Patriots during the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 6, 2022; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Indianapolis Colts cornerback Isaiah Rodgers (34) returns the ball against the New England Patriots during the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports /

2. CB Isaiah Rodgers

Isaiah Rodgers has long been the “next big thing” in the Indianapolis Colts secondary but has never gotten a chance to shine in his own right. This was supposed to be that season for Rodgers. Instead, the Colts brought in Stephon Gilmore, rightfully so, and Brandon Facyson, not rightfully so. Despite the added pressure and talent in the secondary, Rodgers has battled his way into a starting position on Indianapolis’ defense.

This season Rodgers has been listed as the third or even fourth cornerback on the depth chart despite playing well when he is on the field. Currently, Rodgers has 23 combined tackles, one forced fumble (the first of his career), and two pass deflections. He accumulated these stats playing in 279 snaps compared to Facyson’s 294. Facyson has 18 combined tackles and four pass deflections during his playing time.

Despite this disparity in production per snap count, Rodgers is still not receiving adequate time on the field. According to PFF, Rodgers is currently ranked third amongst 119 eligible cornerbacks. He is behind Sauce Garnder and Jack Jones by only 1.7 and 1.5 respectively. His PFF grade of 84.2 is two points above Jalen Ramsey and 3.4 points above Patrick Peterson the fourth and fifth-ranked corners according to PFF.

On just the Colts roster, he not only has the highest PFF grade of any secondary player but the highest PFF grade of the entire team. He is 5.3 points higher than the next-highest player, EJ Speed. The next closest cornerback is Gilmore at 76.3, 15th overall, which is 7.9 points behind Rodgers. His current ranking is the highest of his career by over 10 points. Rodgers is having a great season despite being the third or fourth cornerback on the depth chart. While Indy’s defense is playing well, the team’s overall performance is wasting Rodgers’s great season.

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