ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Hey Steelers, you’ll never believe this.
Jake Rodgers is getting his first NFL start Sunday at right tackle for the Broncos in their season finale against the Oakland Raiders.
“I’m playing with house money,’’ Rodgers told 9News on Friday. “I’m going to leave it all out there and see what happens.”
A 7th-round round of the Atlanta Falcons in the 2015 draft, Rodgers in the four years since have been cut 13 times by eight teams – five times by the Pittsburgh Steelers alone.
“I remember that one,’’ Rodgers said.
His teams and cuts in order: the Falcons, the Giants, Carolina (twice), the Steelers (three times), the Chargers, the Steelers again, the Texans, the Steelers again (five times total), the Ravens and the Broncos.
The Broncos cut may have been the deepest. Rodgers made the Broncos’ season-opening roster when the 53-man was set on August 31, but he was waived the next day after the Broncos claimed four players.
“That was a little disappointing,’’ Rodgers said before taking a long pause and then saying, “but I was just happy to have a job.’’
Signed back on the practice squad on September 2, Rodgers spent just one more week there before he was called up for the Broncos’ second game against the Bears. He’s been on the big 53 ever since.
Not as an offensive tackle, mind you. As a special teamer.
His first snap on offense didn’t come until last week when right tackle Elijah Wilkinson went down with a left high ankle sprain early in the second quarter. Rodgers filled in so well for the final 2 ½ quarters, Fangio awarded him with a game ball.
And with Wilkinson ruled out for the game Sunday, Rodgers will get his first start.
How does a guy hang in there after 13 cuts to finally get his first NFL start in the last game of his fifth season?
“He won’t take ‘No’ for an answer,’’ said Broncos’ coach Vic Fangio. “I think the big thing with him is he truly likes football. To get cut that many times, a lot of guys would give it up, but he really enjoys football, likes being part of the team.’’
Cut No. 12 did nearly cause Rodgers to make a career move. He finished the final three weeks of last season on the Baltimore Ravens’ practice squad and when he was cut a week later, he nearly took a low-level coach’s position at Eastern Washington, his alma mater.
“It was like an offensive quality control position, just to get my foot in the door,’’ Rodgers said. “Because I think I want to coach after this. They offered me a spot there and I thought about it for a really long time. Just decided I wasn’t ready to be done playing football and I was going to give it one more shot.”
The NFL’s version of Rudy, Rodgers is a testament to resilience and perseverance, obviously. But he also is a living example of why you should never burn a bridge. Those five cuts by the Steelers? They also had to first sign him five times. Mike Munchak was the Steelers’ offensive line coach then, and the Broncos’ offensive line coach now.
And when Rodgers was cut by the Falcons in 2015? He was also drafted by them when Rich Scangarello was their low-level offensive quality control coach. Scangarello is in charge of the Broncos’ offensive now.
“I heard Munch got the job out here and I knew Rich from when I got drafted by the Falcons so I was praying they would give me a call,” Rodgers said.
Prayers answered. He got invited to the veteran tryout portion of the Broncos’ extra minicamp in April. Rodgers was signed after the tryout.
Better believe the connections to Munchak and Scangarello didn’t hurt.
And now, after hearing 13 times he wasn’t good enough, Rodgers has proven he’s good enough to start in an NFL game.
“I feel like it’s a testament to working hard and being persistent will get you a long way in life,’’ he said. “Personally, this has been a very fulfilling year for me.’’
Jano named Ed Block winner
The Broncos named fullback Any Janovich as this year’s team recipient of the Ed Block Award, which is given to the player that most exemplifies courage and sportsmanship.
Janovich is a tough-playing fullback and special teams standout who suffered two serious injuries this year – a partially-torn that caused him to miss the first three games of the year, and then a dislocated elbow that put him on injured reserve for the final five games.
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