Getty Xavier Rhodes Signs With Colts
When the Minnesota Vikings opted to cut ties with former All-Pro cornerback Xavier Rhodes earlier this month, their General Manager Rick Spielman hinted at a possible reunion down the road. However, any potential reunion will have to wait until at least 2021, as Rhodes has found a new home.
According to Adam Schefter, Shah Sports Group has informed ESPN that the former Vikings star cornerback has agreed to a one-year deal with the Indianapolis Colts.
Former Vikings’ All-Pro CB Xavier Rhodes is signing a one-year deal with the Indianapolis Colts, @ShahSportsGroup tells ESPN. Rhodes will be a free agent again after 2020 season.
Rhodes Will Look to Recapture His All-Pro Form in Indy
It was not too long ago that Xavier Rhodes was in the conversation as the best cornerback in all of football. Rhodes made back-to-back Pro Bowls from 2016 through 2017, including a first-team All-Pro nod in 2017.
Rhodes turned his stellar run of play into a massive six-year $78 million-plus contract in the offseason following his All-Pro campaign. However, nearly since the day Rhodes put ink to paper, Minnesota began to have buyer’s remorse.
The once-feared cornerback went from a player who quarterbacks would avoid at all costs, to one they intentionally attacked regularly.
Rhodes is fresh off a Pro Bowl appearance this past season, however, his career-low 46.4 Pro Football Focus grade in 2019 showing both that the Pro Bowl is nothing but popularity contest, and that the once elite corner is that no more.
Rhodes will now have a chance in Indianapolis to potentially revert back to his dominance self and hit the free agency market yet again in 2021. However, it’s worth noting that he will be 31-years of age come the start of the 2021 regular season, likely limiting his earning potential.
Did Rhodes Spurn Minnesota?
While the Vikings opted to cut Rhodes earlier this offseason, there have been mumblings that he would have potentially returned to Minnesota on a cheaper deal. The Vikings freed up $8.1 million in cap space by saying goodbye to Rhodes, however, GM Rick Spielman hinted at the possibility of that goodbye being short-lived.
“Both Linval [Joseph] and Xavier have personified what it means to be a Minnesota Viking since joining our organization, providing incredible leadership on the field, in the locker room and within the community,” Spielman said. “We are all grateful for their hard work and all they’ve done to help build our culture here in Minnesota. This decision comes now to allow Linval and Xavier to enter free agency prior to the start of the new league year. We are sincerely appreciative of their contributions and commitment and will remain in communication as all parties navigate free agency moving forward.”
Whether Spielman was speaking the truth about a potential reunion or not, it’s clear now that Rhodes will not be back in Minnesota next season. The team will likely now have to shift their focus on to the NFL draft to land a replacement for the former Pro Bowler.