INDIANAPOLIS – In his first public comments since being suspended in June by the NFL for violating its gambling policy, former Indianapolis Colts cornerback Isaiah Rodgers Sr. confirmed the abundance of bets he was involved with, and that he won $1,000 for betting on then-teammate Jonathan Taylor.
Rodgers spoke at length with ESPN’s Outside the Lines for a segment that will air Friday. He insisted he doesn’t have a gambling problem and that whatever money was earned from the hundreds of bets he placed went to family and friends in Florida, where gambling was illegal.
“Just trying to help friends and family out, just knowing that it wasn’t legal at the time in Florida, and it was in Indiana,’’ Rodgers said. “At the end of the day, I knew the rules. I wasn’t supposed to do it and I got to take what comes with it.’’
On June 29, the NFL suspended Rodgers and Colts defensive end Rashod Berry indefinitely for violating its gambling policy.
The Colts acted immediately. No sooner had the league levied its discipline than they waived Rodgers, who was their projected starting cornerback, and Berry. Rodgers subsequently signed with the Philadelphia Eagles.
General manager Chris Ballard issued a statement at the time that “the integrity of the game is of the utmost importance.’’
When training camp opened in late July, he added he was “disappointed’’ in each player.
“They made bad choices, man. They broke the rules and they’re paying the price for it.’’
Rodgers admitted he wagered hundreds of times and most were in the $25 to $50 range. A league investigation revealed he placed bets from the Colts’ facility, and bet on his team.
One bet Rodgers cashed: $1,000 on an over/under prop bet for predicting the rushing total for Taylor during a 2022 game.
“That bet wasn’t directly Isaiah Rodgers placing that bet,’’ Rodgers told ESPN’s John Barr.
He insisted he was warming up on the field prior to a Colts game when an individual with access to his online sports gambling account made that particular wager.
Rodgers was asked why he was willing to take such a risk by gambling, especially on his own team. He was due to earn roughly $2.7 million in 2023 and was on the verge of possibly securing a big free-agent contract.
“I questioned myself, too,’’ he said. “But I thought I probably wouldn’t get caught, wouldn’t get in trouble.’’
When reports of the NFL investigation surfaced in early June, Rodgers used social media to address the situation. He admitted he made an “error in judgment.’’
“I want to take full responsibility for my actions,’’ he posted.
You can follow Mike Chappell on Twitter at @mchappell51.
