REPORT: Eagles DB Confesses to Purposely Forcing Teammate’s Muffed Punt

Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Isaiah Rodgers could soon be looking for a new team after admitting he deliberately caused teammate Cooper DeJean to muff a punt during Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The incident took place late in the first quarter, with the Eagles already down 14-0. After forcing a defensive stop, the Buccaneers punted to the Eagles, but as DeJean attempted to catch the punt, a Tampa Bay player collided with him, resulting in a fumble.

Initially, officials called kick-catch interference on Tampa Bay, but the ruling was overturned when they determined that Rodgers had pushed the Bucs player into DeJean. After the game, Rodgers confessed that he deliberately shoved the Tampa Bay player, explaining that he wasn’t fully aware of the rules at the time.

“I’ve been a gunner throughout my career, so I know not to hit the punt returner. But in that moment, while guarding him, I thought, ‘I’ll push him into the returner and draw a flag,’” Rodgers explained to reporters. “It’s all part of the game.

“I figured it would draw a flag, which it did at first, but then they picked it up and said it was because I pushed him. I’ve never heard of that before, but it is what it is,” Rodgers said. This admission is surprising, especially from a player who regularly competes in the NFL and has experience on special teams.

Watching from home, I immediately noticed the Buccaneers player was shoved into DeJean, even before the officials reversed the call. You’d think someone on the coverage team would be aware of that rule.Tampa Bay scored a touchdown to go up 21-0 just moments later and the Eagles were never able to dig out of the hole, eventually losing 33-16.