Rodger Saffold

{{Infobox NFL biography

| name = Rodger Saffold

| image = Rodger Saffold 2021.jpg

| caption = Saffold in 2021

| current_team =

| number =

| position = Guard

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1988|6|6|mf=y}}

| birth_place = Bedford, Ohio, U.S.

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 5

| weight_lbs = 325

| high_school = Bedford (Bedford, Ohio)

| college = Indiana (2006–2009)

| draftyear = 2010

| draftround = 2

| draftpick = 33

| pastteams = * St. Louis / Los Angeles Rams ({{NFL Year|2010}}–{{NFL Year|2018}})

Tennessee Titans ({{NFL Year|2019}}–{{NFL Year|2021}})
Buffalo Bills ({{NFL Year|2022}})
New York Jets ({{NFL Year|2023}})*
Cleveland Browns ({{NFL Year|2023}})*

| status =

| highlights = * Second-team All-Pro (2017)

2× Pro Bowl (2021, 2022)
PFWA All-Rookie Team (2010)
Second-team All-Big Ten (2009)

| statseason =

| statweek =

| statlabel1 = Games played

| statvalue1 = 176

| statlabel2 = Games started

| statvalue2 = 173

| pfr = SaffRo20

}}

Rodger P. Saffold III (born June 6, 1988) is an American professional football player who is a guard in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the St. Louis Rams in the second round, 33rd overall in the 2010 NFL draft. He played college football for the Indiana Hoosiers.

Early life

Saffold attended Bedford High School in Bedford, Ohio where he played offensive tackle and defensive end. He was a 2005 first team All-Lake Erie League, all-district and honorable mention all-state selection at the same high school that produced former Wisconsin and NFL wide receivers Chris Chambers and Lee Evans. He recorded 18 tackles as a senior.

Considered only a two-star recruit by Rivals.com, Saffold picked Indiana over Illinois, Kansas and Ohio.[https://sports.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/recruiting/player-Rodger-Saffold-44250 Rodger Saffold - Yahoo Sports]

College career

He never left the starting lineup after sliding in at left tackle midway through his true freshman campaign at Indiana University. He started 41 games and appeared in 42 in his career. He was selected second team All-Big Ten by the conference coaches and named honorable mention by the league's media, and earned second team All-Big Ten recognition from Phil Steele's magazine.

Professional career

{{nfl predraft

| height ft = 6

| height in = 4+5/8

| weight = 316

| dash = 5.25

| ten split = 1.81

| twenty split = 3.03

| shuttle = 4.67

| cone drill = 7.42

| vertical = 29+1/2

| broad ft = 9

| broad in = 5

| bench = 27

| wonderlic = x

| arm span = 33+5/8

| hand span = 9+3/8

| note = All values from NFL Combine{{cite web |url=http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=78897&draftyear=2010&genpos=OT |title=Rodger Saffold |date=February 28, 2010 |access-date=September 1, 2010 |publisher=NFL Draftscout.com}}{{Cite web|url=http://insider.espn.com/nfl/draft/player/combine/_/id/25432/rodger-saffold|title = Rodger Saffold}}

}}

=St. Louis / Los Angeles Rams=

File:Rodger Saffold.JPG

Saffold was selected by the St. Louis Rams in the second round, 33rd overall, in the 2010 NFL draft.{{Cite web |title=2010 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2010/draft.htm |access-date=2023-05-13 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}} On July 28, 2010, he signed a 4-year contract worth $6.3 million, that included $3.9 million guaranteed.[http://stlouisramfan.blogspot.com/2010/07/st-louis-rams-sign-ot-rodger-saffold.html St. Louis Rams Sign OT Rodger Saffold] Saffold earned the starting left tackle position for the Rams in his rookie season and started in every game that season for the Rams.

Saffold garnered rave reviews for his play and was named to multiple All Rookie teams, including Pro Football Weekly and the Sporting News.{{Cite web |url=http://www.profootballweekly.com/2011/01/19/2010-all-rookie-team |title=2010 All-Rookie team |access-date=March 8, 2011 |archive-date=January 22, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110122164630/http://www.profootballweekly.com/2011/01/19/2010-all-rookie-team |url-status=dead }}{{Cite web |url=http://aol.sportingnews.com/nfl/feed/2011-01/sn-2010-nfl-awards/story/sn-nfl-rookie-of-the-year-ndamukong-suh |title=SN NFL Rookie of the Year: Ndamukong Suh - NFL - Sporting News |access-date=March 8, 2011 |archive-date=September 27, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120927052309/http://aol.sportingnews.com/nfl/feed/2011-01/sn-2010-nfl-awards/story/sn-nfl-rookie-of-the-year-ndamukong-suh |url-status=dead }}

Saffold was the only rookie in 2010 to start all their team's games at left tackle and Saffold allowed only three sacks in 590 pass attempts according to Statspass.com as he helped Steven Jackson rush for over 1,000 yards. In 2011, he played in and started 9 games at left tackle before being put on IR on November 19, 2011. In 2012 Saffold returned and played in and started the last 10 games of the season at left tackle. In 2013 Saffold played in 12 games with 9 starts, and moved around the offensive line with 1 start at left tackle, 3 starts at right tackle, and 5 starts at right guard. In 2014, Saffold played in and started all 16 games mostly at left guard, but also started at right guard and saw some action at right tackle too. In 2015, Saffold played in and started 5 games at right guard. In 2016, Saffold has started in and played all 11 games at the guard position.{{cite web|title=Rodger Saffold Player Summary|url=https://www.therams.com/team/players-roster/rodger-saffold/|website=Los Angeles Rams|access-date=December 1, 2016}}{{cite web|title=Rodger P. Saffold III|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/S/SaffRo20.htm|website=Pro Football Reference|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|access-date=December 1, 2016}}

Saffold signed a five-year, $42.5 million contract with the Oakland Raiders on March 11, 2014.{{cite web|title=Rodger Saffold joins Oakland Raiders on 5-year deal|url=http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000332973/article/rodger-saffold-expected-to-join-oakland-raiders|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140313014216/http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000332973/article/rodger-saffold-expected-to-join-oakland-raiders|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 13, 2014|author=Wesseling, Chris|website=NFL.com|date=March 11, 2014}} However, after a disagreement in Oakland on Saffold's physical condition, he returned to the Rams to sign a five-year, $31.7 million contract. The Raiders had concerns about Saffold's shoulder, which contrasted with the Rams who had "no concerns whatsoever".{{cite web|title=Rodger Saffold fails Raiders physical, will rejoin Rams|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/rodger-saffold-fails-raiders-physical-rejoins-rams-0ap2000000333671|author=Rosenthal, Gregg|website=NFL.com|date=March 13, 2014}}{{cite web|title=Raiders pull plug on Saffold deal|url=https://twitter.com/MikeSilver/status/443949564857307137|author=Silver, Michael|website=Twitter.com|date=March 12, 2014}} Saffold received an overall grade of 73.7 from Pro Football Focus, which ranked as the seventh best grade among all qualified offensive guards in 2018.{{cite web |title=Pro Football Focus: Rodger Saffold |url=https://www.profootballfocus.com/nfl/players/rodger-saffold/5558 |access-date=January 17, 2019 |website=profootballfocus.com}} In 2018, Saffold helped the Rams reach Super Bowl LIII where they lost to the New England Patriots 13–3.

=Tennessee Titans=

On March 14, 2019, Saffold signed with the Tennessee Titans on a four-year $44 million contract.{{cite web|url=https://www.titansonline.com/news/new-bodyguard-titans-agree-to-terms-with-former-rams-ol-rodger-saffold|title= New Bodyguard: Titans Agree to Terms With Former Rams OL Rodger Saffold|first=Jim |last=Wyatt |date=March 14, 2019|work=TitansOnline.com}}{{cite web|title=Tennessee Titans sign G Rodger Saffold to 4-year deal|url=http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000001022231/article/titans-expected-to-sign-g-rodger-saffold-to-4year-deal|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190314160436/http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000001022231/article/titans-expected-to-sign-g-rodger-saffold-to-4year-deal|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 14, 2019|author=Teope, Herbie|website=NFL.com|date=March 12, 2019}}

In 2019, Saffold started all 16 games with the Titans as they finished the season 9-7 and made the playoffs, blocking for Derrick Henry as he won the league rushing yards title. He then started all three of the Titans playoff games, blocking for Henry as he ran for nearly 200 yards in each of the first two games before losing to the eventual Super Bowl champions Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship.

In 2020, Saffold remained the starting left guard, starting all 16 games and blocked for Henry who won his second rushing yards title and he was named Offensive Player of the Year by becoming the eighth player in NFL history to rush for 2000 yards in a season. The Titans won the division with an 11-5 record. Saffold started for the Titans in the wildcard round of the playoffs where they were defeated by the Baltimore Ravens.

On March 10, 2022, Saffold was released by the Titans.{{cite web|title=Titans Release Three Players: G Rodger Saffold, OL Kendall Lamm and RB Darrynton Evans|url=https://www.tennesseetitans.com/news/titans-release-three-players-g-rodger-saffold-ol-kendall-lamm-and-rb-darrynton-e|author=Wyatt, Jim|website=TennesseeTitans.com|date=March 10, 2022}}

=Buffalo Bills=

On March 14, 2022, Saffold signed a one-year contract with the Buffalo Bills.{{cite web|title=Bills sign offensive lineman Rodger Saffold|url=https://www.buffalobills.com/news/bills-sign-offensive-lineman-rodger-saffold|website=BuffaloBills.com|date=March 14, 2022|access-date=March 14, 2022}} On January 30, 2023, Saffold was selected to his second Pro Bowl as an alternate.{{cite web|title=Dion Dawkins, Dawson Knox, Rodger Saffold named Pro Bowl replacements|url=https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2023/01/30/dion-dawkins-dawson-knox-rodger-saffold-named-pro-bowl-replacements/|first=Josh|last=Alper|website=NBCsports.com|date=January 30, 2023|access-date=March 17, 2023}}

=New York Jets=

On October 31, 2023, Saffold was signed to the New York Jets practice squad.{{cite web |last1=Greenberg |first1=Ethan |title=Jets Place 3 on Injured Reserve; Sign 2 to Active Roster |url=https://www.newyorkjets.com/news/jets-place-3-on-injured-reserve-sign-players-active-roster-10-31-2023 |website=New York Jets |access-date=1 November 2023}} He was released on January 2, 2024.{{cite web | last=Riccette | first=Billy | title=Jets release Rodger Saffold from practice squad | website=Jets Wire|publisher=USA Today | date=2024-01-02 | url=https://jetswire.usatoday.com/2024/01/02/jets-release-rodger-saffold-from-practice-squad/ | access-date=2024-10-11}}

=Cleveland Browns=

On January 3, 2024, Saffold was signed to the Cleveland Browns practice squad.{{cite web |title=Browns sign G Rodger Saffold to the practice squad |url=https://www.clevelandbrowns.com/news/browns-sign-g-rodger-saffold-to-the-practice-squad |website=clevelandbrowns.com |access-date=3 January 2024}} He was not signed to a reserve/future contract by the team after the season and thus became a free agent upon the expiration of his practice squad contract.{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.si.com/nfl/browns/news/browns-sign-nine-players-to-reserve-futures-contracts|magazine=Sports Illustrated|title=Browns Begin Offseason By Signing Nine Players To Reserve, Futures Contracts|date=January 15, 2024|author=German, Spencer}}

Esports involvement

Saffold is currently the owner of competitive Call of Duty team Rise Nation.{{cite web|url=http://www.gameskinny.com/bego1/why-an-nfl-star-bought-esports-team-rise-nation-gaming|title=Why An NFL Star Bought eSports Team Rise Nation Gaming|first= John|last=Gaudiosi |website=Gameskinny|date=April 9, 2014|access-date=June 3, 2015}} He bought the team in April 2014.