Vikings Star Sends Strong Message About Eagles QB Jalen Hurts
With the sting of their Week 7 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles still fresh, Minnesota Vikings starting cornerback Isaiah Rodgers offered supportive comments about Jalen Hurts.
Hurts led the Eagles to two Super Bowls in three years, winning in 2024. However, he has been the subject of various debates about his standing among his peers. He picked the Vikings apart, though, to the tune of a season-high 326 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Rodgers, Hurts’ teammate in 2024, spoke candidly about perceptions of his former QB.
Isaiah Rodgers Offers Words of Support for Jalen Hurts After Eagles Beat Vikings
Rodgers inked a two-year, $11 million contract with the Vikings in free agency this past offseason. That was after showcasing his playmaking with Hurts and the Eagles en route to a Super Bowl victory in 2024.
He saw firsthand just what Hurts is like every day.
According to Rodgers, Hurts “can do it all,” and that is what makes the former second-round pick (No. 53 in 2020) someone others want to play with.
“Despite what everybody says in the media, he wins the games,” Rodgers said, per The Athletic’s Zach Berman on October 20. “That’s the one thing that matters as a quarterback in the league. One day, he can throw for 300, like he did today. One day, he can throw for 20 yards. He finds ways to win games, and those are the types of quarterbacks that you want.”
Hurts’ last 300-yard game was in Week 3 of the 2024 season. This season, he has thrown for 1,498 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 1 interception in seven games. He has another 185 yards and 5 TDs on 54 carries this season.
Hurts has a 16,165-96-40 line on 64.9% completion for his career with a 51-22 record.
Many fans appreciated Rodgers’ comments. Some even lamented the Eagles losing the veteran to the Vikings. Others suggested a return would appeal to them.
Vikings Show Support for Isaiah Rodgers
Rodgers made headlines for unfortunate reasons following a rough individual outing in the Vikings’ 28-22 loss to the Eagles, sharing that he had received “racist” messages from disgruntled individuals.
“Racism is real [laughing emojis]” Rodgers posted on X on October 20. “Keep football, football. Thats not even the worst Ive Seen. Stay solid or stay silent.”
He said “F A N S” was either “Fake Applause, No Support Or Faithful And Never Switching.”
The Super Bowl champion and former Indianapolis Colts sixth-round pick (No. 211 overall in 2020) urged those on the fence to “Pick a side and stay on it!” and that he had gotten “Some of the most racist comments I ever seen or read since i enter [sic] the league. [laughing emojis]”
The Vikings released a statement in support of Rodgers, denouncing racism in any form, in the aftermath of the revelation.
“We are disgusted by the racial slurs directed at Isaiah Rodgers following yesterday’s game,” the Vikings posted on X on October 20. “As we have said previously, there simply is no room for racist words or actions in sports or society. We support Isaiah and all players who, unfortunately, experience this type of ignorant and prejudicial behavior far too often, and we ask our fans to continue to fight to eliminate racism.”
Rodgers and the Vikings will look to put the entire experience of last week, postgame included, behind them. They must prepare to face the Los Angeles Chargers on “Thursday Night Football” in Week 8.
Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield Sounds Off on ‘Questionable’ Calls After ‘MNF’ Loss
Baker Mayfield openly criticized the officials both during and after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ lopsided 24–9 loss to the Detroit Lions on “Monday Night Football.”
Tampa Bay’s quarterback was spotted giving NFL official John Hussey a piece of his mind after the Buccaneers’ final offensive drive. Later, Mayfield didn’t hold back when asked about his interaction with Hussey and his overall opinion of the officiating crew.
“A third down defensive holding call that wasn’t called, and also still pretty damn confused about the double review,” Mayfield said postgame. “Lot of things in that game that (are) a little questionable. A lot of frustration at the end of that, it might be displaced on John Hussey in the moment, but I work my ass off and I put a lot into this game. So when things that don’t seem fair, I’m gonna let somebody know. And that’s good, bad, indifferent.
The NFL Second Guessed Itself During Review
The “double review” Mayfield mentioned took place early in the fourth quarter when he completed a four-yard pass to tight end Cade Otton on a fourth-and-4. The officials initially ruled that Otton made the catch for a first down, a decision upheld after the Lions challenged the play.
However, in a surprising twist, Hussey was called back for another review and ultimately overturned the ruling, giving the Lions possession and restoring Detroit’s timeout.
The NFL supposedly uses Sony’s Hawk-Eye Virtual Measurement Technology, a series of cameras around the stadium, to measure whether or not a player reached the line to gain. That began this season, hence why there are no more “chain gangs” or ball measurements.
Bucs head coach Todd Bowles also had remarks postgame about the officiating.
“Well, once they make a review and they say it out loud over the headset, you kind of go with it,” Bowles said. “I’m not used to going back and then making another call and changing it, but he explained it. It was a ugly look, (and) said they been doing it once a week. But they’re gonna be human and make mistakes.”
Not Only Questionable Call During Rough Night for Bucs
That was the second overturned call of the night involving Mayfield and Otton. Late in the first half, officials reversed a three-yard completion to Otton, ruling instead that Arthur Maulet had intercepted Mayfield’s pass. By rule, when two players gain simultaneous possession, the ball is awarded to the offense.
There’s no question the Buccaneers were on the wrong end of several close calls Monday night. Still, Tampa Bay’s (5-2) loss was largely the result of Detroit’s (5-2) superior play on both sides of the ball—particularly in the running game. The Lions racked up 164 rushing yards, with Jahmyr Gibbs accounting for 136 yards and two touchdowns. In contrast, the Buccaneers managed only 41 yards on 12 carries, spending most of the night trying to catch up.
The Bucs also lost star receiver Mike Evans, who suffered a broken collarbone in the second quarter. Bowles announced after the game that Evans is expected to miss most of the Buccaneers’ remaining regular-season contests.
The Bucs are at the New Orleans Saints next week Sunday.
