Could being cut by Colts after suspension be the end of Isaiah Rodgers Sr.’s career?

Tennessee Titans v Indianapolis Colts
Tennessee Titans v Indianapolis Colts / Michael Hickey/GettyImages
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After being suspended by the NFL, Isaiah Rodgers Sr. was waived by the Indianapolis Colts. Could this be the end of his NFL career?

Entering the 2023 offseason, Isaiah Rodgers Sr. was one of the most promising players for the Indianapolis Colts. After securing a full-time starting cornerback spot in 2022, everyone was excited about Rodgers’ future. He consistently displayed his talent, and with the 2023 season being his fourth year in the league, and a contract year, expectations were high.

Unfortunately, everything came crashing down when it was announced that Rodgers was being investigated by the NFL for a possible violation of the league’s gambling policy. The investigation has since concluded, and on Thursday, the league announced that Rodgers is suspended indefinitely, through at least the 2023 season. After next season, he’ll have the opportunity to apply for reinstatement.

Shortly after the suspension was announced, the Colts decided to waive Isaiah Rodgers Sr. Rodgers did have a season remaining on his contract, and that year would’ve tolled until he was reinstated, however, Indy decided to move on. Now, the future of Rodgers’ NFL career is in question.

Will Isaiah Rodgers Sr. ever play in the NFL again?

It’s important to note that Rodgers wasn’t given a lifetime ban, just an indefinite suspension. That means that after the 2023 season is over, the league will have to decide if it wants to reinstate Rodgers or not. Assuming that Rodgers is eventually reinstated, the question is if he’ll get picked up by another team.

It’s tough to say that Rodgers will for certain be picked up again? He has only played three years in the NFL, and while he was a promising player, he wasn’t a star or an established contributor throughout the league. Rodgers made noise in his first two seasons as an exciting returner, and in year three, he finally became a starter at corner. 2023 was supposed to be the season that Rodgers really established his name.

That’s not going to happen. He’ll instead spend the year out of the NFL and will have to stay in elite shape, hope to get reinstated, and hope that some team takes a chance on him. The biggest factor, however, could be the details of his violations. It was reported that Rodgers gambled on the Colts, and the future of Rodgers’ career could depend on what the bet was.

Isaiah Rodgers Sr. placed a $1000 bet on a Colts running back

ESPN’s David Purdum reported that Rodgers placed a $1000 bet on the over/under for a Colts running back, and won the bet. However, it’s also been reported that the majority of bets that Rodgers placed were in the $25-$50 range. So the 1000-dollar bet could be something that the league especially looks into, specifically, which way Rodgers bet.

While it’s all against the gambling policy, one can imagine that the league and teams would be forgiving to a player that’s betting on his own team to do good. If Rodgers was betting against his team, it’s fair to assume that he’ll have a tough time getting reinstated, and even if he is, he’ll have an even tougher time getting signed by a team.

It’s an all around pretty sad situation, especially since Rodgers was a promising player that was loved by the team, fans, and the media. Now, he’ll just have to wait and see if he’ll get another opportunity to be an NFL player.

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