Richard Rodgers (tight end) explained

Richard Rodgers
Position:Tight end
Birth Date:22 January 1992
Birth Place:Martinez, California, U.S.
Height Ft:6
Height In:4
Weight Lbs:257
College:California
Draftyear:2014
Draftround:3
Draftpick:98
Pastteams:
Statlabel1:Receptions
Statvalue1:148
Statlabel2:Receiving yards
Statvalue2:1,533
Statlabel3:Receiving touchdowns
Statvalue3:15
Pfr:RodgRi00

Richard Christopher Rodgers II (born January 22, 1992) is an American football tight end who is a free agent. He played college football at California and was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the third round of the 2014 NFL draft. He has also been a member of the Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Football Team, Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Chargers.

Early life

Rodgers was born in California, growing up there and Oregon and New Mexico before moving to Worcester, Massachusetts in 2004.[1] He attended St. John's High School in Shrewsbury. At St. John's he was a four-time letterman in basketball and three-time letterman in football for the Pioneers. While on the basketball team, he led the Pioneers to the state championship game all four years, including a win in 2009. As a senior, he averaged 17.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, 4.5 blocks, 4.1 steals and 3.4 assists playing basketball. Rodgers was named to the starting five on ESPNBoston's MIAA All-State Boys Basketball Team along with other talented players from Massachusetts such as seniors Pat Connaughton and Jake Layman as well.[2] He is one of 14 athletes in Saint John's history to be a member of the 1000 Point Scorers List, with 1,423 points. In football, he helped lead the Pioneers to central Massachusetts super bowl championship wins his last two years.[3] Former Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Rob Blanchflower was also a teammate of Rodgers in football and basketball at St. John's.

Prior to the start of his senior year, Rodgers committed to attend the University of California, Berkeley, where his father Richard Rodgers Sr., who also played football, handled two of the five laterals in "The Play".[4]

Rodgers is cousins with Jairus Byrd.[5]

College career

Rodgers played in 35 of 37 possible games (starting 11) for the California Golden Bears during three seasons from 2011–13. He had 20 catches for 288 yards as a 2012 sophomore. He had his best season in 2013 as a junior, when he totaled career highs of 39 receptions and 608 yards receiving to rank third on the team in both categories. He finished his career at Cal with 59 receptions for 896 yards receiving (15.2 yards per catch) and two touchdown catches.[6]

College statistics

California Golden Bears
SeasonGamesReceiving
GP GS Rec Yds Avg Lng TD
201113 0 0 0 0.0 0 0
201211 6 20 288 14.4 51 1
201311 5 39 608 15.6 75 1
Total 35 11 59 896 15.2 75 2
Source: CalBears.com

Professional career

Green Bay Packers

Rodgers was selected in the third round with the 98th overall pick by the Green Bay Packers in the 2014 NFL draft.[7] On June 12, 2014, he signed a contract with the Packers.[8] He made his NFL debut on September 4, 2014. He did not record a catch. In Week 4, he recorded his first two catches for 52 yards against the Chicago Bears. Rodgers' first NFL touchdown came in the second quarter of the Packers' November 23, 2014, matchup versus the Minnesota Vikings at TCF Bank Stadium. After rolling out far to his right, quarterback Aaron Rodgers completed a 1-yard touchdown pass across the width of the field to Richard Rodgers, who had completely avoided defensive coverage and was left standing alone in the corner of the endzone.[9]

On December 3, 2015, in a Week 13 matchup against the Detroit Lions, Richard Rodgers caught a Hail Mary pass from Aaron Rodgers for 61 yards as time expired to beat the Lions 27–23, after the game was extended due to a face mask penalty called on Detroit.[10] According to Elias Sports Bureau, it is the longest game-winning, game-ending Hail Mary in NFL history.[11] The Hail Mary was quickly dubbed as "The Miracle in Motown." After the game Richard Rodgers admitted thinking about "The Play" his father was part of stating "It's a really special moment for him and I was kind of thinking on the play before, when Aaron got the facemask, I was kind of thinking we would do something like that. Obviously it turned out differently."

Philadelphia Eagles (first stint)

On April 4, 2018, the Philadelphia Eagles signed Rodgers to a one-year, $880,000 contract that included $200,000 guaranteed.[12] [13] He was placed on injured reserve on September 4, 2018, with a knee injury.[14] He was activated off injured reserve on November 16, 2018.[15] His only statistics were during a week 16 match against the Houston Texans, where he recorded one catch for 7 yards.

On March 28, 2019, Rodgers re-signed with the Eagles on a two-year contract.[16] He was placed on injured reserve with a foot injury on August 30, 2019.[17] He was released from injured reserve with an injury settlement on September 11.[18] He was re-signed on December 24, 2019.[19]

Washington Football Team

Rodgers signed with the Washington Football Team on April 6, 2020, uniting him with his father Richard Rodgers Sr.[20] He was released on September 5, 2020.[21]

Philadelphia Eagles (second stint)

On September 8, 2020, Rodgers signed back with the Eagles after an injury to Joshua Perkins.[22] After stepping in for an injured Dallas Goedert, Rodgers became the starting tight end on Week 7 following an injury to Zach Ertz. In Week 11 against the Cleveland Browns, Rodgers caught two passes for 48 yards and his first touchdown since 2017.[23] In Week 12 against the Seattle Seahawks, Rodgers caught a 33-yard Hail Mary pass from Carson Wentz in the last minute of the fourth quarter.[24]

On June 11, 2021, Rodgers re-signed with the Eagles for the 2021 season.[25] He was waived on August 31.[26] He re-signed with their practice squad on September 21, 2021, but was released a week later.

Arizona Cardinals

Rodgers was signed to the Arizona Cardinals practice squad on October 13, 2021, but was released three days later.[27] [28]

Philadelphia Eagles (third stint)

Rodgers was signed to the Eagles' practice squad on October 20, 2021.[29] He was signed to the active roster on January 15, 2022.[30] He was placed on the active/physically unable to perform list on July 27, 2022.[31] He was released on August 30, 2022.[32]

Los Angeles Chargers

Rodgers was signed by the Los Angeles Chargers to their practice squad on September 5, 2022.[33] He was promoted to the active roster on September 28.[34] He was placed on injured reserve on December 10.[35]

NFL career statistics

Regular season

YearTeamGamesReceivingFumbles
GP GS Rec Yds Avg Lng TD Fum Lost
GB16 5 20 225 11.3 43 2 0 0
GB16 12 58 510 8.8 61 8 0 0
GB16 6 30 271 9.0 22 2 0 0
GB15 1 12 160 13.3 36 1 0 0
PHI7 0 1 7 7.0 7 0 0 0
PHI1 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0
PHI14 4 24 345 14.4 33 2 0 0
Total 85 28 145 1,518 10.5 61 15 0 0
Source: NFL.com

Postseason

YearTeamGamesReceivingFumbles
GP GS Rec Yds Avg Lng TD Fum Lost
GB2 0 5 48 9.6 13 1 0 0
GB2 2 7 56 8.0 15 0 0 0
GB3 0 1 34 34.0 34 1 0 0
PHI2 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0
PHI1 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0
Total 10 2 13 138 10.6 34 2 0 0
Source: NFL.com

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Toland . Jennifer . August 23, 2014 . Rodgers proud to watch son blossom into pro . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20180408151552/http://www.telegram.com/article/20140823/news/308239764/.u_odfdtz6bc.faceb . April 8, 2018 . April 8, 2018 . telegram.com.
  2. Web site: March 29, 2011 . ESPNBoston's MIAA All-State Boys Basketball Team . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20171029012905/http://www.espn.com/blog/boston/high-school/post/_/id/6509/espnbostons-miaa-all-state-boys-basketball-team . October 29, 2017 . April 8, 2018 . ESPN.com.
  3. Web site: Hall . Brendan . May 10, 2010 . Richard Rodgers drafted by Green Bay Packers . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20171029012827/http://www.espn.com/blog/boston/high-school/post/_/id/31955/richard-rodgers-drafted-by-green-bay-packers . October 29, 2017 . April 8, 2018 . ESPN.com.
  4. Web site: August 29, 2010 . St. John's Richard Rodgers chooses Cal . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20180408150833/http://www.espn.com/blog/boston/high-school/post/_/id/597/rodgers-chooses-cal . April 8, 2018 . April 8, 2018 . ESPN.com.
  5. Web site: Dunne . Tyler . May 18, 2014 . Packers rookie Richard Rodgers Jr. learned football from dad . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20170928005411/http://archive.jsonline.com/sports/packers/packers-rookie-richard-rodgers-jr-learned-football-from-dad-b99272747z1-259742551.html . September 28, 2017 . April 8, 2018 . JSOnline.com.
  6. Web site: California Golden Bears: Richard Rodgers . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20160826071532/http://calbears.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=5800 . August 26, 2016 . April 8, 2018 . CalBears.com.
  7. Web site: Richard Rodgers Draft Profile . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20180408145932/http://www.nfl.com/draft/2014/profiles/richard-rodgers?id=2543569 . April 8, 2018 . August 23, 2016 . NFL.com.
  8. Web site: June 12, 2014 . Packers sign draft picks Adams, Rodgers . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20180408145438/http://www.packers.com/news-and-events/article-1/packers-sign-draft-picks-adams-rodgers/6893cf4f-9373-491b-ba28-b3455608c8b1 . April 8, 2018 . October 19, 2016 . Packers.com.
  9. Web site: November 23, 2014 . Eddie Lacy, Aaron Rodgers lift Packers past Vikings . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20180408145141/http://scores.espn.com/nfl/recap?gameId=400554324 . April 8, 2018 . April 8, 2018 . ESPN.com . Associated Press.
  10. Web site: Rosenthal . Gregg . December 3, 2015 . Packers stun Lions on Aaron Rodgers' Hail Mary TD . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20180408144543/http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000593884/article/packers-stun-lions-on-miracle-td-throw-by-rodgers . April 8, 2018 . April 8, 2018 . NFL.com.
  11. News: Richard Rodgers, the perfect answer to Packers' Hail Mary prayer first. Demovsky. Rob. December 4, 2015. ESPN.com. ESPN. December 4, 2015.
  12. Web site: McPherson . Chris . April 4, 2018 . Tight end depth increases with veteran Richard Rodgers . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20180408143622/http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/news/article-1/tight-end-depth-increases-with-veteran-richard-rodgers/1d368bad-3041-4d69-97fa-ec3f9251032a . April 8, 2018 . April 8, 2018 . PhiladelphiaEagles.com.
  13. Web site: April 10, 2018 . Eagles' Richard Rodgers: Gets $200K guaranteed . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20180527183917/https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/football/news/eagles-richard-rodgers-gets-200k-guaranteed/ . May 27, 2018 . May 27, 2018 . CBSSports.com.
  14. Web site: September 4, 2018 . Eagles Bring Back WR Markus Wheaton . PhiladelphiaEagles.com.
  15. Web site: Foley . Graham . November 16, 2018 . Richard Rodgers Activated From Injured Reserve . December 3, 2020 . PhiladelphiaEagles.com.
  16. Web site: Spadaro . Dave . March 28, 2019 . Richard Rodgers returning to add depth at TE . December 3, 2020 . PhiladelphiaEagles.com.
  17. Web site: August 30, 2019 . Eagles announce first wave of roster moves as team works toward 53-player limit . August 30, 2019 . PhiladelphiaEagles.com.
  18. Web site: McPherson . Chris . September 11, 2019 . Eagles release TE Richard Rodgers off of Injured Reserve with an injury settlement . September 11, 2019 . PhiladelphiaEagles.com.
  19. Web site: McPherson . Chris . December 24, 2019 . Eagles sign TE Richard Rodgers and promote WR Deontay Burnett to the active roster . December 3, 2020 . PhiladelphiaEagles.com.
  20. Web site: March 30, 2020 . Redskins Sign TE Richard Rodgers, WR Cody Latimer . March 30, 2020 . Redskins.com.
  21. News: Jhabvala . Nicki . Fortier . Sam . September 5, 2020 . Alex Smith avoids Washington Football Team's cuts, will remain on 53-man roster . December 3, 2020 . Washington Post.
  22. Web site: McPherson . Chris . September 8, 2020 . Eagles sign TE Richard Rodgers and protect four practice squad players for Week 1 . December 3, 2020 . PhiladelphiaEagles.com.
  23. Web site: Philadelphia Eagles at Cleveland Browns – November 22nd, 2020 . December 3, 2020 . Pro-Football-Reference.com . en.
  24. Web site: Seattle Seahawks at Philadelphia Eagles – November 30th, 2020 . December 3, 2020 . Pro-Football-Reference.com . en.
  25. Web site: McPherson, Chris . June 11, 2021 . Eagles add TE Richard Rodgers, WR Michael Walker . PhiladelphiaEagles.com.
  26. Web site: Kempski. Jimmy. August 31, 2021. Eagles announce initial 53-man roster, with analysis. PhillyVoice. english.
  27. Web site: Maxx Williams Placed On Injured Reserve In Flurry Of Moves. Urban, Darren. AZCardinals.com. October 13, 2021.
  28. Web site: Rodney Hudson Placed On Injured Reserve; Jordan Phillips Activated. Urban, Darren. AZCardinals.com. October 16, 2021.
  29. Web site: October 20, 2021. Eagles announce 2 more roster moves ahead of Week 7 vs. Raiders. October 20, 2021. Eagles Wire. en-US.
  30. Web site: Eagles announce several roster moves ahead of Sunday's Wild Card matchup with the Buccaneers. McPherson, Chris. PhiladelphiaEagles.com. January 15, 2022.
  31. Web site: NFL news roundup: Latest league updates from Wednesday, July 27 . July 27, 2022 . NFL.com . en-US.
  32. Web site: Eagles announce initial 53-man roster. McPherson, Chris. PhiladelphiaEagles.com. August 30, 2022.
  33. Web site: Cothrel . Nicholas . Chargers Sign TE Richard Rodgers to Practice Squad . September 6, 2022 . Sports Illustrated Los Angeles Chargers News, Analysis and More . en.
  34. Web site: Chargers Sign Richard Rodgers and Jason Moore Jr. to Active Roster. Chargers.com. September 28, 2022.
  35. Web site: Los Angeles Chargers Sign Kemon Hall to Active Roster. Chargers.com. December 10, 2022.