Amari Rodgers

Not to be confused with Armani Rogers.

Amari Rodgers
refer to caption
Rodgers with Clemson in 2019
No. 3 – Birmingham Stallions
Position:Wide receiver
Personal information
Born: (1999-09-23) September 23, 1999 (age 25)
Knoxville, Tennessee, U.S.
Height:5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Weight:212 lb (96 kg)
Career information
High school:Knoxville Catholic
(Knoxville, Tennessee)
College:Clemson (2017–2020)
NFL draft:2021 / round: 3 / pick: 85
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of 2023
Receptions:20
Receiving yards:249
Rushing yards:18
Return yards:626
Total touchdowns:1
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Amari Jai Rodgers (born September 23, 1999) is an American professional football wide receiver for the Birmingham Stallions of the United Football League (UFL). He played college football at Clemson and was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the third round of the 2021 NFL draft. He has also played for the Houston Texans.

Early life

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Rodgers attended Knoxville Catholic High School in Knoxville, Tennessee. As a senior, he caught 40 passes for 1,238 yards with 18 touchdowns. For his career, he had 3,498 receiving yards with 47 total touchdowns.[1] He was rated as a four star recruit and the 16th highest rated wide receiver recruit in the country by the 247Sports.com Composite, which aggregates the ratings of the major recruiting services.[2] Rodgers originally committed to University of Southern California, but flipped to Clemson when they gave him an offer late in the season.[3]

College career

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As a freshman at Clemson in 2017, Rodgers had 19 receptions for 123 yards.[4] As a sophomore in 2018, he caught 55 passes for 575 yards and 4 touchdowns. He also returned a punt for a touchdown.[5]

Rodgers missed the first game of his junior season in 2019 due to an ACL tear in spring practice.[6] He finished the season with 30 receptions, 426 yards, and 4 touchdowns.[7] After the season, Rodgers announced he was returning for his senior season rather than entering the 2020 NFL draft.[8] As a senior, Rodgers caught 77 passes for 1,020 yards and 7 touchdowns.

Professional career

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Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
5 ft 9+1⁄2 in
(1.77 m) 		212 lb
(96 kg) 		30+3⁄8 in
(0.77 m) 		9+1⁄2 in
(0.24 m)		 4.52 s 1.65 s 2.62 s 4.31 s 7.07 s 33.0 in
(0.84 m)		 10 ft 1 in
(3.07 m)		 19 reps
All values from Pro Day[9][10]

Green Bay Packers

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Rodgers was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the third round with the 85th overall pick of the 2021 NFL draft.[11] The Packers send their 92nd and 135th overall picks to the Tennessee Titans to move up and select Rodgers. He signed his four-year rookie contract on July 23, 2021,[12] worth $4.89 million, including a $923,000 signing bonus.[13] He saw his first NFL action on September 12, 2021, against the New Orleans Saints, recording one catch for 19 yards in the 38–3 loss.[14] He finished the 2021 season with 169 yards off punt returns and 199 yards off kickoff returns with his longest being 23 and 27 yards.[15][16]

During Rodgers' second season, he proved to be inconsistent, totaling five fumbled punt returns over ten games. However, he was otherwise more efficient by nearing his 2021 totals in just over half a season, returning 139 yards off punt returns and 122 off kickoffs through week 10. In a week 10 win over the Dallas Cowboys, Rodgers lost his seventh fumble during a punt return, and was benched afterwards, replaced by cornerback Keisean Nixon. Head coach Matt LaFleur announced they would no longer ask Rodgers to return punts, and he was released by the Packers two days after the game.[17][18] Meanwhile, in his stead, Nixon was named a First-Team All-Pro as a kick returner, having tallied the most return yards in the NFL despite not winning the job until Week 10.

Houston Texans

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The Houston Texans claimed Rodgers off waivers on November 16, 2022.[19] On December 11, Rodgers scored his first career touchdown on a 28–yard reception from Jeff Driskel.[20] Rodgers finished the 2022 season with 16 receptions for 204 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown.[21]

On July 30, 2023, Rodgers was waived by the Houston Texans.[22]

Indianapolis Colts

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On August 2, 2023, Rodgers signed with the Indianapolis Colts.[23] He was waived on August 29, 2023, and re-signed to the practice squad.[24][25] On October 3, Rodgers was signed to the active roster.[26] He was waived on October 20, 2023.[27]

Birmingham Stallions

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On December 22, 2023, Rodgers signed with the Birmingham Stallions of the United States Football League (USFL).[28] He re-signed with the team on September 23, 2024.[29]

NFL career statistics

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Regular season

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Year Team Games Receiving Kick Returns Punt Returns Fumbles
GP GS Rec Yds Avg Lng TD Ret Yds Avg Lng TD Ret Yds Avg Lng TD Fum Lost
2021 GB 16 1 4 45 11.2 19 0 11 199 18.1 27 0 20 166 8.3 23 0 2 0
2022 GB 10 0 4 50 12.5 22 0 6 122 20.3 34 0 20 139 7.0 20 0 5 2
HOU 6 1 12 154 12.8 37 1 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 1 0
Total 32 2 20 249 12.5 37 1 17 321 18.9 34 0 40 305 7.6 23 0 8 2
Source: pro-football-reference.com

Postseason

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Year Team Games Receiving Kick Returns Punt Returns Fumbles
GP GS Rec Yds Avg Lng TD Ret Yds Avg Lng TD Ret Yds Avg Lng TD Fum Lost
2021 GB 1 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 3 66 22.0 26 0 2 11 5.5 6 0 0 0
Total 1 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 3 66 22.0 26 0 2 11 5.5 6 0 0 0
Source: pro-football-reference.com

Personal life

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Rodgers is the son of football coach Tee Martin.[30] He is close friends with former Packers teammate Randall Cobb, whom he met while Cobb was playing for Martin at the University of Kentucky.[31]

References

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  1. ^ Oliver, Gavin (July 4, 2017). "Fresh look at the freshmen: Amari Rodgers". The Clemson Insider. Archived from the original on July 6, 2017. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  2. ^ "Amari Rodgers, Knoxville Catholic, Wide Receiver". 247Sports.com. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  3. ^ Keepfer, Scott (July 22, 2019). "Meet the Tigers: 3 things you probably don't know about Clemson football's Amari Rodgers". USA Today. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  4. ^ "2018 Clemson Football Season Preview: Wide Receivers". SB Nation. August 23, 2018. Archived from the original on August 6, 2019. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  5. ^ "Player Stats: Amari Rodgers". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on October 24, 2020. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  6. ^ Needelman, Joshua (September 10, 2019). "Clemson's Amari Rodgers to Dabo Swinney: 'I promise you, I'm ready". The Post and Courier. Archived from the original on May 1, 2021. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  7. ^ "WATCH: Amari Rodgers motivated to show out as senior". Tigernet.com. April 16, 2020. Archived from the original on May 1, 2021. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  8. ^ Senkiw, Brad (March 25, 2020). "Clemson's Amari Rodgers Reflects On Being Year Removed From Knee Injury". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
  9. ^ "Amari Rodgers Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". National Football League. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  10. ^ "Amari Rodgers, Clemson, WR, 2021 NFL Draft Scout, NCAA College Football". draftscout.com. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  11. ^ Hodkiewicz, Wes (April 30, 2021). "2021 NFL Draft: Packers select Clemson WR Amari Rodgers in the third round, No. 85 overall". Packers.com. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
  12. ^ "Packers sign WR Amari Rodgers". Packers.com. July 23, 2021. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
  13. ^ "Amari Rodgers". Spotrac.com. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  14. ^ "Green Bay Packers at New Orleans Saints - September 12th, 2021". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  15. ^ "Amari Rodgers 2021 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  16. ^ "2021 NFL Kick & Punt Returns". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  17. ^ "Amari Rodgers Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  18. ^ "Packers release WR Amari Rodgers, RB Kylin Hill". Packers.com. November 15, 2022. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  19. ^ "Texans' Amari Rodgers: Picked up by Houston". CBS Sports. November 16, 2022. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  20. ^ "Former Clemson WR Scores First Career NFL TD". si.com. December 11, 2022. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  21. ^ "Amari Rodgers 2022 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  22. ^ "Houston Texans Transactions (7-30-2023)". HoustonTexans.com. July 30, 2023.
  23. ^ "Colts sign WR Amari Rodgers, waive WR Johnny King". Colts.com. August 2, 2023.
  24. ^ Stankevitz, JJ (August 29, 2023). "Colts make roster moves to form initial 53-man roster". Colts.com.
  25. ^ "Colts sign 16 to practice squad". Colts.com. August 30, 2023.
  26. ^ "Colts sign WR Amari Rodgers to the 53-man roster; place cornerback Dallis Flowers on Injured Reserve; sign cornerback Darren Hall to the practice squad". Colts.com. October 3, 2023.
  27. ^ "Colts claim CB Ameer Speed off waivers from Patriots; waive WR Amari Rodgers". Colts.com. October 20, 2023.
  28. ^ @JamesLarsenPFN (December 22, 2023). "According to the FOX Sports roster page, the @USFLStallions have also added WR Amari Rodgers out of Clemson" (Tweet). Retrieved December 22, 2023 – via Twitter.
  29. ^ @UFL_PR (September 23, 2024). "The #UFL has announced the following transactions" (Tweet). Retrieved September 24, 2024 – via Twitter.
  30. ^ Thomas, Chris (January 30, 2017). "How Clemson football landed Tee Higgins, Amari Rodgers". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  31. ^ Huber, Bill (July 31, 2021). "Trade Reunites Longtime Friends Cobb, Amari Rodgers". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
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