The Indianapolis Colts have largely been quiet on the free agent front, but are now starting to take care of some in-house business. According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the club has reached an agreement with corner Xavier Rhodes that will keep the now-former unrestricted free agent in Indy through the 2021 season. Rapoport adds that this one-year deal will pay Rhodes $6.5 million.
This re-signing comes nearly a year removed from Rhodes’ first one-year contract with the Colts last offseason, which also ended a seven-year run with the Vikings. In Minnesota, Rhodes evolved into one of the better corners in the league, earning three Pro Bowl nods and was named First-Team All-Pro in 2017. His first season with the Colts proved to be a continuation of that strong play.
The former first-round pick started all 16 games for Frank Reich’s club in 2020. Over that stretch, he totaled two interceptions and defended 12 passes (second-most on the team). When targeted, Rhodes allowed just a 51.9 completion percentage and opposing quarterbacks averaged just an 84.5 passer rating against the 30-year-old.
As a team, Indianapolis’ secondary ranked eighth in the NFL in efficiency, which partially can be credited to Rhodes’ contributions. Given that success in their first season together, it’s not too surprising to see the Colts pushing for a reunion.
According to CBS Sports NFL analyst Pete Prisco, Rhodes was the 44th-ranked free agent heading into the offseason.
