Eagles HC Nick Sirianni Reveals Truth About Isaiah Rodgers Decision Before Vikings Game
The Philadelphia Eagles find themselves in a bit of a tough spot heading into Week 7. After suffering a pair of losses to the Denver Broncos and New York Giants in consecutive weeks, the Eagles suddenly find themselves in a precarious position as they prepare for their upcoming matchup with the Minnesota Vikings.
After getting hit by a slew of key departures over the offseason, Philadelphia is hurting right now, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. One guy the Eagles let leave in free agency was cornerback Isaiah Rodgers, who has enjoyed a star turn with the Vikings to start the season. Ahead of this matchup, head coach Nick Sirianni kept it real when discussing Rodgers’ departure from Philly.
Nick Sirianni Opens Up on Isaiah Rodgers’ Departure from the Eagles
The Eagles are dealing with several notable injuries on the defensive side of the ball, but one area that has been struggling, even before all the injuries, is the secondary. That’s because several key cornerbacks, such as Rodgers, ended up leaving in free agency, and the front office failed to properly replace them.
In 2024, Rodgers played a depth role at cornerback for Philadelphia, appearing in 15 games, three of which were starts. During his time on the field, Rodgers racked up 26 tackles, four pass deflections, and one fumble forced. In search of a bigger role, though, he ended up signing a two-year, $15 million contract with Minnesota in free agency.
Rodgers has started all five games for the Vikings at cornerback, picking up 19 tackles, one interception, two pass deflections, and two fumbles forced. Rodgers also has a pair of touchdowns, having returned his lone interception and a fumble to the end zone. Simply put, he’s been precisely the sort of player the Eagles are missing, and ahead of their meeting with the Vikings, Sirianni admitted that he wished the team could have found a way to re-sign Rodgers.
“When you have the success that we were able to have last year, it’s hard to say bye to guys … but that’s the reality of this business,” Sirianni said of Rodgers’ leaving for the Vikings in free agency. “Guys’ contracts are up; you can only get so many of them back. And that’s what makes this league so great, the parity … All our guys, when you go through special things with them, you have a connection with all the guys, so you hate to see any of them leave.”
Nick Sirianni, Eagles Still Struggling to Replace Isaiah Rodgers
While Philadelphia also let Darius Slay leave this offseason, Rodgers could have conceivably been re-signed on a cheap deal, and as he’s shown with Minnesota, he could have filled in as a starter alongside Quinyon Mitchell. Instead, the Eagles have been forced to rely on a combination of Adoree’ Jackson and Kelee Ringo, and to this point, both of them have been awful.
Rodgers will look to further prove the Eagles wrong for letting him walk in free agency when he squares off against them in Week 7. Philly’s pass offense has not been particularly good through six games, so they will likely be looking to attack Rodgers and the Vikings’ secondary in an effort to generate some positive momentum. Kickoff for this game is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on Sunday afternoon.
Analysts are starting to see what Raiders fans already knew about Geno Smith
The Las Vegas Raiders have not had a great start to the 2025 NFL season, as they sit at 2-4 after beating the Tennessee Titans in Week 6. It marked their first victory since the season opener, snapping a losing skid that lasted for over a month.
Many of their issues have had to do with an underwhelming offense and the struggles of Geno Smith. He has cost the Raiders two games alone with three-interception performances. Turnovers have been a major problem for the veteran quarterback, as he leads the league with ten interceptions.
While Las Vegas' coaching staff's faith in Smith has not wavered, it is clear that the franchise should be in the market for its quarterback of the future this offseason. An NFL analyst recently made a claim about his future that will not surprise Raiders fans in the slightest.
NFL analyst makes a prediction on Geno Smith's future that is not surprising to Raiders fans
The Raiders' offseason trade to land Smith was largely met with positive reviews. The move has not paid off, however, as he has been among the worst quarterbacks in the league through six games. Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon labeled him as one of the players with the most to prove over the remainder of the season.
"The 35-year-old has his work cut out for him trying to prove he isn't just a bridge quarterback for a team that may target a signal-caller in the first round of next year's draft, but he's done an abysmal job for one of the league's lowest-scoring teams," Gagnon wrote.
Gagnon does not believe Smith will be able to turn things around and predicted that he is in his final year as an NFL starter.
"Injuries have been a factor, but that alone doesn't get Smith off the hook," Gagnon wrote. "He's only been an average starter the last two-and-a-half years and is living off an aberrational standout 2022 campaign in Seattle. I doubt we will see him in a regular starting role again after 2025."
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Raiders fans are certainly not shocked by the prediction, as some have already called for the team to make a quarterback change. While it appears unlikely that Smith will be benched, it is apparent that he should not be in the team's long-term plans.
In addition to leading the league in interceptions, he ranks 16th in passing yards per game, tied for 21st in touchdowns, 20th in completion percentage, 31st in passer rating and 27th in quarterback rating. Cam Ward is the only player who has played all six games and thrown fewer touchdowns than Smith.
Although he has a relationship with head coach Pete Carroll that dates back to their time with the Seattle Seahawks, the quarterback has not looked the same in 2025. The more he struggles, the higher Las Vegas' chances of drafting his replacement become.
While it is unclear who will be under center for the Raiders in 2026, most fans would agree with Gagnon's assessment that it should not be Smith.
