New And Improved

PHILADELPHIA — Despite his best attempt during a year-long suspension to keep an NFL-style training schedule, Eagles cornerback Isaiah Rodgers has moments this summer on the field that remind him of the road less traveled.

Like when he weighed into training camp at 180 pounds, a considerable increase that came with the 26-year-old’s more muscular build.

When Rodgers had checked the app on his phone last year at the time of his suspension, it read 166 pounds.

The wiry cornerback, then immensely undersized and barred from communication with teammates, faced an uncertain future. He cited the importance of mental health, acknowledging he wasn’t where he wanted to be mentally at the time.

Armed with a new perspective and piece of mind, however, Rodgers now finds himself in a much better headspace – optimistic, wiser and positioned to undertake a prominent role on an upstart Eagles defense.

He’s grateful to be reinstated and accepting his role, whatever it might be.

But in order for Rodgers to pull himself from the depths of despair and forge ahead, he leaned on those close to him.

“I just kept my faith,” Rodgers said recently after practice. “I just kept going, my family kept me uplifted. People around me back home. And I just continued to pray and continued to keep my faith in God and just kept going.”

GETTY IMAGES: CB Isaiah Rodgers has shined at Eagles training camp despite missing all last season from a suspension.

For Rodgers, his comeback has seemingly materialized without a hitch.

His spring success — Rodgers registered an interception and was largely sticky in coverage throughout the glorified passing camp — manifested into what has largely become a summer-long resurgence, a bounceback story of redemption that has once again vaulted him into prominence.

The 5-foot-10, 180-pound cornerback, once viewed as a wild card, appears primed to become a starter for Vic Fangio’s defense, at least to start the regular season.

“I was comfortable all year,” Rodgers said. “I was comfortable the whole year off. I never shied away from it. So, I’ve been ready for this moment.”

A 2020 sixth-round pick of the Indianapolis Colts, Rodgers hasn’t missed a beat in his return to action, showcasing advanced eye discipline, short-area quickness and ball skills.

On plays in which the Eagles’ Pro Bowl tandem of wide receivers, A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, create space and appear poised to win the rep, Rodgers will flash his blistering recovery speed to make a play on the ball.

The daunting task of countering the Eagles’ dynamic duo has been invaluable for Rodgers, who has noticed the effect on his game.

“Very valuable,” he said. “I’ve said it before, best two [receivers] in the league. So, I think preparing for them and, day-in-and-day-out, watching film on them is gonna definitely prepare all of us in the room for the entire season.”

While Rodgers was initially in a two-person race with second-year cornerback Kelee Ringo to determine the starter opposite Darius Slay — the pair traded days starting with the first team in the early days of camp — Rodgers ultimately separated and now has the advantage, primarily due to down-to-down consistency, fluidity and ball skills.

The latest development has rookie Quinyon Mitchell opening practice opposite Slay in base. But in nickel, Mitchell kicks inside and Rodgers comes in to fill the void outside.

Ringo, for now, appears to have taken a back seat, but that hasn’t strained their relationship.

In fact, in a sense, it has fortified the bond, bringing them closer together and conjuring a brotherhood of sorts.

The powder keg-like pressure and daily scrutiny hasn’t driven a wedge between them, instead fostering a healthy atmosphere, similar to the camaraderie Rodgers said he experienced in the cornerback room in Indianapolis.

On Monday, Ringo actually FaceTimed Rodgers, though he missed his call.

The two also have a knack for challenging each other on the field to bring out their best, most competitive versions to avoid complacency.

“He’s been making a lot of plays in preseason,” Rodgers said. “Props to him. But a lot of plays, I’ve been telling him, ‘Pick that. You gotta pick that.’ You know, a lot of guys can go out there and knock the ball down, but we get paid by making interceptions.

“So, I’m on him, he’s on me, like, ‘Come on, Isaiah. You’re faster than that.’ So, we just always keep each other up.”

As for any alterations to his game, the scrappy cornerback said he’s most notably focused more on getting his hands on receivers – which he hasn’t done much in his career – and fixated on that concept.

The handsy element is an ideal remedy against a physical wideout like Brown or a smooth, savvy pass catcher like Smith.

While Rodgers can at times be naturally outmuscled for the football, his pesky, swarming nature lends itself favorably to undertaking that aspect.

At the start of camp, the Eagles appeared to have an influx of young corners pushing for playing time, prompting questions about important roles and which ones would emerge to grab them.

But even as the lens begins to come into focus, and as the depth chart settles, the competition and intensity levels still remain very much intact.

As DeVonta Smith said, the rise in competition has coaxed the best from everyone.

“I know I feel it on my point of view,” Rodgers said. “So, I think it’s just the moment where you just gotta continue to stay in your notebooks and continue to come out here and try to make as many plays as you can and just take it day-by-day and keep building them.”

– Andrew DiCecco (@AndrewDiCecco) is a Staff Reporter/Content Producer for InsideTheBirds.com.