The Indianapolis Colts were able to bring back a key piece of their secondary from the 2020 season when cornerback Xavier Rhodes returned on a one-year deal in free agency.
After testing the market, Rhodes wound up re-signing with the Colts on a deal much cheaper than most expected for the 30-year-old. But the veteran is back wearing the horseshoe for at least another year, and he’s happy with the end result of the process.
“I mean yeah I’m happy with the end result. I’m a Colt. I played well with the Colts. I got along with the players and the coaches at the same time so it was a great bond with us,” Rhodes told the media Thursday. “How I was able to see the potential of the team and how I was able to change the camaraderie, change everything from previous – see how like I said, how much potential this team has, to come back to it and try and strive to go to the Super Bowl again. I know we have the potential to do so. I was more than glad and happy to come back.”
After a rough 2019 season that dealt with injuries and inconsistent play, Rhodes bounced back in a major way for the Colts. He emerged as their top boundary corner. On 80 targets, Rhodes allowed a 51.9% completion rate and a 78.3 passer rating, per Pro Football Focus.
With some question marks about Rock Ya-Sin’s ability to be the CB1 in the defense, Rhodes stepped in wonderfully in that role. He feels the scheme best allows him to be himself and work within his own skillset.
“They just allow me to play my ball. Like I’ve said and like I’ve known before, I’ve been in the league eight years, I’ve played almost everything,” Rhodes said. “It was just that they allowed me to be confident within myself, play myself, play football, be free and be myself – allowing me to just be confident and be strong.”
The Colts are likely to add another cornerback in the draft to compete behind Rhodes and Kenny Moore while the team hopes to get more development from young cornerbacks like Ya-Sin, Marvell Tell and Isaiah Rodgers.
At his age and current standing in his career, Rhodes is happy to embrace the leadership and mentor role in the secondary.
“Yeah, being around guys like Terence Newman and guys that actually helped me be the player that I am now, I was able to bring that knowledge to the guys at the Colts,” Rhodes said. “So it was fun helping these guys become – reach their full potential or trying to reach their full potential and come back another year and get them to be one of the best in the league. It feels good to be that leader.”
There are some question marks when it comes to the Colts defense in terms of the pass rush but getting Rhodes back, even on a one-year deal, is a big move for the secondary.
Leave a Reply