Isaiah Rodgers, Admits to Betting Games in Notes App Apology. What Does that Mean for the Colts?
Well, just when we were riding high on that amazing draft from Chris Ballard, news like this drops. When the story first broke, the name of the player being investigated was unknown. It wasn’t until the Twitter accounts of Adam Schefter and Warren Sharp reported on the identity of the one being investigated was the young, breakout defensive back Isaiah Rodgers. Things got worse when Rodgers took to social media and seemingly admitted to the wrongdoing.
The Social Media Post
When the news first broke on Monday, I was clinging to the hope that the investigation would not find any wrongdoing as it pertained to Isaiah Rodgers. That hope quickly died when Rodgers posted on Twitter just hours later that seemingly admitted to the wrongdoing.
Rodgers wrote, “I made an error in judgment and I am going to work hard to make sure those mistakes are rectified through this process.” I don’t know about you, but to me, that sounds like a confession. Also, “an error in judgment”, Isaiah? You placed around one hundred bets. I would call that one hundred errors in judgment.
The Possible Punishment
Those with decent memories will remember the first player to be caught violating the NFL’s gambling policy was Calvin Ridley, a wide receiver for the Atlanta Falcons. The NFL came down on him hard, hitting him with a year-long suspension.
Since Ridley, more NFL players have been caught. Among them were four Lions players. Two have been suspended indefinitely for betting NFL games, the other two (2022 1st rounder Jameson Williams and other wide receiver Stanley Berryhill) have been suspended just six weeks as the investigation found that they did not bet on NFL games. As we know, that is not the case with Isaiah Rodgers.
The account being investigated bet heavily on NFL games, and the scarier thing is that the account bet on Colts games. I’m thinking the NFL is going to bring the hammer down and give Rodgers the Pete Rose lifetime ban.
How Does it Hurt the Colts?
It hurts them badly. We were already thin at the defensive back position. Taking away our second-best corner kneecaps our secondary. I’m sure Ballard is in his office already calling agents around the league to find a free agent to fill the void that Rodgers is going to leave. So who is out there for the Colts to sign? There isn’t a whole lot.
We could get a tested veteran in Bradley Roby as a bandaid and help out the young guys in the secondary like Julius Brent. Eli Apple is still out there running around in the market. Even though his play can be inconsistent, I wouldn‘t mind Ballard bringing him in as a stop-gap until we find a more permanent solution.
On the bright side, there are a lot worse players to lose to a lifetime ban. We can be thankful that it wasn’t JT, Quentin Nelson, or Shaq Leonard. But it still sucks that it’s Isaiah Rodgers. This is a big step back for Gus Bradley’s defense, but there are still ways forward. Just don’t expect Rodgers to dawn the blue and white, or any color for that matter, anytime soon.
