Veteran cornerback Isaiah Rodgers was absent from Friday’s 34-29 season-opening win over the Green Bay Packers. He suffered a hand injury the day before that prevented him from practicing in the week leading up to the game.

However, that didn’t stop some from wondering if Rodgers was a “healthy substitution” to make room for talented rookie Quinyon Mitchell and keep him out of the numbers.

Rodgers took to social media to make the issue clear to a fan.

“Do you think I’m going to get to that point to be a healthy scratch???” Rodgers said on the platform X.com. “I’ve worked too hard all year and training camp to be a healthy scratch, brother. It’s football, injuries happen. I tried everything I could to be here this week. I’d rather give 100% for my team and the fans than 50%.”

Before traveling to São Paulo, Brazil, Rodgers said he was “looking forward to playing against the Packers.”

“It’s just a testament to my hard work,” Rodgers said. “I’m so grateful for this opportunity. I want to get out here and have fun. Running out of the tunnel is something I’m really looking forward to. I’ve been waiting for this for a long time.”

Rodgers was suspended last season for violating the NFL’s gambling policies during his time with the Indianapolis Colts.

The idea with Rodgers on the team was that Mitchell would start opposite Darius Slay when only two cornerbacks were needed, and the rookie would slide inside when a nickel cornerback was needed. Rodgers would then slot in as the right cornerback.

Without Rodgers, Mitchell actually started on the outside and stayed there, playing 63 of the team’s 67 total defensive snaps (94%). When a nickel was added, which was often, it was veteran Avonte Maddox, who played 60 snaps (90%).

Mitchell delivered an impressive performance in his NFL debut despite being targeted early and often by Green Bay quarterback Jordan Love.

The Packers targeted six-time Pro Bowl cornerback Slay just once in the passing game, instead focusing on Mitchell. Love tackled the rookie 10 times and completed five passes for 86 yards.

That’s a decent performance, but Love’s passer rating when he targeted the talented Toledo product was just 56.3, according to TruMedia.

“My coach told me before the game that they were going to test me on the first drive,” Mitchell noted.

Rodgers, meanwhile, is struggling with a hand problem, missed several training sessions after the first cut to 53 and trained again on a limited basis this week before his flight to South America.

Despite his size deficiencies, Rodgers has played only outside center back this summer and may need to start cross-training inside as well.

That’s because defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has said that the outside CB position is endgame for Mitchell, and the rookie has performed well against one of the NFL’s better options, so the Eagles could opt to keep the first-round pick over Slay going forward.

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