Eagles cornerback Isaiah Rodgers has been reinstated nearly a year after being suspended indefinitely for betting on his own team.
As a member of the Colts, Rodgers made hundreds of wagers, including some on his own team. None of those bets ever involved the Colts to lose.
The Colts to win were part of several longshot parlays, though. In one wager, Rodgers wagered $1,000 on his teammate to hit the over on his rushing yards prop.
That's what separated his case from others across the league. Other players who bet on the NFL — but not on their own teams — or placed legal wagers at team facilities were reinstated from suspensions far quicker, with fewer procedural hurdles.
NFL players and staff can wager on table games or other sports so long as they are not on team property in any capacity, including on road trips.
Rodgers was released shortly after his June 2023 suspension and picked up by the Eagles, which have retained his rights since then.
The Eagles have indicated that they intend to keep the cornerback and kick returner. Corner depth is vital after a season in which the Eagles ranked near the bottom in nearly every defensive advanced metric available. And Rodgers' value as a kick returner only compounds his utility.
"He's a key part of our planning going forward," Eagles CEO Jeffrey Lurie said last month. "It was a smart move by [general manager] Howie [Roseman] to acquire Isaiah."
Rodgers joined Titans wide receiver Calvin Ridley as the only players to have been suspended for betting on their own teams. Both wagered on their teams to win and spent about a year in suspension purgatory.
A wager on their team to lose — or the under on player props they have direct impact on — could have seen punitive measures up to a lifetime ban. For instance, former Raptors center Jontay Porter was banned for life after hindering his play in order for his player props to go under.
Ridley's career was only mildly hindered by sitting out the 2022 season. He put up 1,016 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in 2023 with the Jaguars, then signed a four-year, $92 million contract with the Titans this offseason to make him the No. 10 highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL.
