After signing a one-year deal with the Colts last week, Xavier Rhodes spoke to the media on Monday for the first time since the deal was made official.
The former Vikings’ standout was one of the top cornerbacks just a few years ago and cited his move to Indy as a ‘fresh start’.
Though Rhodes wasn’t as sought-after in free-agency as he may have thought, he chose the Indianapolis Colts due to the ‘familiarity’ he had with part of the coaching staff.
Both Jonathan Gannon and Alan Williams, who are the secondary coaches for the Colts, were on the Minnesota Vikings’ staff for most of Rhodes’ tenure.
Gannon, especially, has played a huge role in Xavier Rhodes’ career. With the Vikings from 2014-17, he helped Rhodes become one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL. In that timeframe, Rhodes totaled nine interceptions and 50 passes deflected, both amongst the league’s best.
Because of those numbers, Rhodes was named to the 2016 and 2017 Pro Bowls while also being named to the First-Team All-Pro team in 2017.
With his play falling off a bit in the past two seasons, partnering back up with Gannon and Williams could be a critical step in getting his old form back.
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