Week 3 Proves Vikings Made 1 of the Best 2025 FA Signings

For the first time in years, the Minnesota Vikings were active in free agency. Building around young quarterback J.J. McCarthy, the Vikings took advantage of the rookie contact window by dishing out roughly $243 million in total contract value last spring, shoring up the weaknesses of a 14-win team that flamed out in its final two games.

While signings like Ryan Kelly and Javon Hargrave drew most of the headlines, an addition that went under the radar was Isaiah Rodgers Jr., who signed a two-year, $11 million contract. He was an unknown that was supposed to add to a cornerback room that already had Byron Murphy Jr. but Sunday’s performance against the Cincinnati Bengals may have been a breakout moment that cemented him as one of the best free agent signings from this year’s class.

Isaiah Rodgers’s Historic Game Helps Vikings Score Another Free Agent Win

Rodgers had a tremendous game on Sunday as he helped the Vikings earn a 48-10 win over the Bengals. While the offense got an opening touchdown on the first drive, Rodgers gave them some breathing room in the second quarter with an interception off a Harrison Smith deflection and an 87-yard return for a touchdown to put Minnesota up 14-0.

The Bengals showed more signs of life in the second quarter and drove down to the Vikings’ 27 before facing a 3rd-and-8. While Jake Browning targeted Tee Higgins in the end zone, Rodgers deflected the pass away and forced Cincinnati into a 45-yard Evan McPherson field goal.

As the game trended toward halftime, Rodgers went into overdrive. The Bengals were driving with just under two minutes remaining when Rodgers chopped the ball away from Noah Fant and landed on top of the football. After realizing he wasn’t touched, Rodgers got up and returned the fumble 66 yards for a touchdown to give the Vikings a 24-3 lead.

Rodgers went on to force two more fumbles that led to a five-yard touchdown run by Jordan Mason and a 62-yard field goal by Will Reichard that helped the Vikings go into halftime with a 34-3 lead and allow the corner to make some history.

ESPN’s Kevin Seifert noted that Rodgers was the first player ever to return an interception for a touchdown, return a fumble for a touchdown, and force two fumbles in a single game. Pro Football Focus also revealed that Rodgers posted two of the highest grades in the “A22 era” beginning in the 2006 season, with a coverage grade of 99.4 and an overall grade of 99.9.

Producing the NFL’s version of a perfect game may be enough evidence that Rodgers was a great signing. But it’s also a credit to general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. A reserve with the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles last season, Rodgers flew under the radar in part due to a year-long gambling suspension when he was a member of the Indianapolis Colts in 2023.

Rodgers has successfully revived his career and may be Adofo-Mensah’s latest victory with the “buy low” strategy that helped the Vikings land Murphy in 2023. Murphy has gone on to become a Pro Bowler and Minnesota’s top corners, and Rodgers could be on his way to the same accolades and become one of the best free agent signings in the NFL this season.

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