Minnesota Vikings cornerback Isaiah Rodgers said he received racist comments from fans on social media following Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
According to ESPN, Rodgers shared several Instagram messages on his account, many of which used the N-word. One user said, “ur worse than Hitler,” and later apologized in a separate screenshot for the remark.
Rodgers was the Vikings’ leading defender in two major plays that gave the Eagles momentum. One included a 79-yard touchdown pass to DeVonta Smith in the third quarter and a 45-yard completion to A.J. Brown in the fourth that sealed the game.
The Eagles later defeated the Vikings 28-22. Afterward, Rodgers spoke about his performance and took accountability for the team’s loss.
“I put it on me,” Rodgers said in a statement obtained by ESPN, noting, “I came here for a reason, and those type of plays I know I can make. So, I put it on me.”
‘That’s not even the worst I’ve seen’
On Monday, Rodgers recounted the racial comments he received after Sunday’s game in a post on X, formerly Twitter, noting it wasn’t the worst he’d seen.
The Vikings speak out after the racist remarks toward Rodgers
Hours later, the Vikings released a statement on X, stating how the organization was “disgusted” by the comments Rodgers had received.
“We are disgusted by the racial slurs directed at Isaiah Rodgers following yesterday’s game. As we have said previously, there simply is no room for racist words or actions in sports or society. We support Isaiah and all players who, unfortunately, experience this type of ignorant and prejudicial behavior far too often, and we ask our fans to continue to fight to eliminate racism,” the team said.