Xavier Rhodes (born June 19, 1990) is an American former professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

player who was a

cornerback A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover Wide receiver, receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such Play from scrimmage, offensive running plays as sweep ...

in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL). He played

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

for the

Florida State Seminoles The Florida State Seminoles are the athletic teams representing Florida State University (FSU) located in Tallahassee, Florida. They compete as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I, prima ...

, and was selected by the

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...

in the first round of the

2013 NFL draft The 2013 NFL draft was the 78th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft, which is officially called the "NFL Player Selection Meeting", was held at Radio City Music Hall in ...

. With the Vikings, Rhodes made three

Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players. The format has changed ...

s and was a first-team

All-Pro All-Pro is an honor bestowed upon professional American football players that designates the best player at each position during a given season. All-Pro players are typically selected by press organizations, who select an "All-Pro team," a list t ...

selection.

Early life

Rhodes attended Miami Norland High School in

Miami Gardens, Florida Miami Gardens is a city in north-central Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. It is a suburb of Miami and located north of Greater Downtown Miami, downtown Miami with city boundaries that stretch from Interstate 95 in Florida, I-95 and N ...

, where he was a two-sport star in football and track. He played as a

wide receiver A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense (American football), offense, WR gets its name ...

running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offense ...

, and

defensive back In gridiron football, defensive backs (DBs), also called the secondary, are the players on the defensive side of the ball who play farthest back from the line of scrimmage. They are distinguished from the other two sets of defensive players, the ...

for the Miami Norland Vikings

team. As a junior, he recorded more than 1,000 all-purpose yards. In his senior year, he led his school in both rushing and receiving, and earning a spot on the Miami Herald All-Dade team on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball. He played in the 12th annual Nike South Florida All-Star game. He was honored as 6A FSWA first-team All-state selection, and a first-team All-Dade County athlete. Rhodes also excelled in

track & field Track and field (or athletics in British English) is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name used in North America is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and ...

at Norland. In his first season of track in 2007, he posted a personal-best time of 48.60 seconds in the 400-meter dash. At the 2008 Sam Burley Hall of Fame Meet, he earned a third-place finish in the 200-meter dash event with a time of 22.25 seconds. As a senior, he qualified for the state finals in the

100-meter dash The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at ...

after running a career-best time of 10.70 seconds in the prelims of the regional championship. Regarded as a three-star recruit by Rivals.com, Rhodes was listed as the No. 75 wide receiver and the No. 91 prospect in the state of Florida. He chose FSU over scholarship offers from

West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...

, Auburn, and Florida International.

College career

Rhodes received an athletic scholarship to attend

Florida State University Florida State University (FSU or Florida State) is a Public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preeminent university in the s ...

, where he played for coach Jimbo Fisher's

Florida State Seminoles football The Florida State Seminoles football team represents Florida State University (variously Florida State or FSU) in the sport of American football. The Florida State Seminoles, Seminoles compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FB ...

team from 2009 to 2012. He started 38 of 43 games in the secondary in his distinguished college career.

2009 season

As a freshman in 2009, Rhodes played in only two games against

Boston College Boston College (BC) is a private university, private Catholic Jesuits, Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1863 by the Society of Jesus, a Catholic Religious order (Catholic), religious order, t ...

and

Georgia Tech The Georgia Institute of Technology (commonly referred to as Georgia Tech, GT, and simply Tech or the Institute) is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Established in 1885, it has the lar ...

on special teams before suffering a hand injury that sidelined him for the rest of the season. He was granted a medical redshirt, preserving him another year of college eligibility.

2010 season

In 2010, Rhodes started all 14 games at the boundary cornerback position and emerged as a promising young star for FSU's vastly improved defense. He used his physical attributes to record 12 pass breakups and four interceptions, good for a share of the team lead. His pass breakups and 16 passes defended led all freshmen nationally. He was credited with three pass breakups in pivotal Atlantic Division wins over

and Clemson. He intercepted a pass in the end zone against the Tigers which proved to swing the momentum in the Seminoles' 16–13 victory. His previous interceptions came against BYU and NC State. A sure tackler, the

Miami Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...

native ranked seventh on the team with 58 stops and his 49 solo tackles ranked fourth. Rhodes's ability to play close to the line of scrimmage in coverage enabled him to collect 3.5 tackles for loss on the season and two sacks. He recovered the first two fumbles of his career in FSU's home finale against

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

in a 31–7 rout. He was named one of the top newcomers on defense at the annual Florida State football banquet. In all, he recorded 54 tackles, four

interceptions In ball-playing competitive team sports, an interception or pick is a move by a player involving a pass of the ball—whether by foot or hand, depending on the rules of the sport—in which the ball is intended for a player of the same team bu ...

, and two sacks. He was named the ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year and was a consensus freshman

All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

. He earned National Defensive Freshman of the Year honors from '' Collegefootballnews.com''.

2011 season

In his redshirt sophomore season in 2011, Rhodes started as part of a three-man cornerback rotation with

Mike Harris Michael Deane Harris (born January 23, 1945) is a retired Canadian politician who served as the 22nd premier of Ontario from 1995 to 2002 and leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario (PC Party) from 1990 to 2002. Taking the PC ...

and Greg Reid. He made five tackles at Clemson, at Wake Forest, and

Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of Royal family, royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobi ...

. Against

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

, Rhodes tallied a season-high six tackles. He intercepted his first pass of the season against NC State. He finished with four tackles in the win over Notre Dame in the

2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...

Champs Sports Bowl. He registered 43 stops (36 solo) on the season with 1.5 tackles for loss, one interception, and five pass-breakups for the season. He was selected as the Mr. Dependable Skill Award winner at the team's annual banquet.

2012

For his junior season in 2012, Rhodes was named to preseason watchlists for the Bednarik Award and Nagurski Trophy. He was also the only player from the ACC to be named a semifinalist for the Thorpe Award. He defended 10 passes on the season, placing 11th in the ACC and leading all FSU players, while his three interceptions tied for 8th and also tied for the team lead, leading this to earn first-team All-ACC honors. He also added seven pass break-ups which tied for third on the team. He recorded 39 tackles (27 unassisted) and 2.0 tackles for loss. His third interception and eighth career pick came in the ACC Championship Game versus

. The two other picks came against Murray State and at

USF USF may refer to: Universities * University of Saint Francis (Indiana), Ft. Wayne, Indiana * University of San Francisco, California * University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida * University of St. Francis, Joliet, Illinois * University of Sioux ...

. He forced and recovered a fumble in the

Orange Bowl The Orange Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Miami metropolitan area. Played annually since 1935 Orange Bowl, January 1, 1935, it is tied with the Sugar Bowl and the Sun Bowl as the second-oldest bowl games in ...

against

Northern Illinois Northern Illinois is a region generally covering the northern third of the U.S. state of Illinois. The region is by far the most populous of Illinois, with nearly 9.7 million residents as of 2010. Economics Northern Illinois is dominated by ...

. He registered a season-high seven tackles at NC State. He anchored an FSU secondary that held nine of the top 10 receivers in the ACC at the time they faced them to a combined 22 catches for 244 yards. In the last 12 games, he was targeted 47 times and allowed just 13 completions for 88 yards with two interceptions and seven pass break-ups. He helped Florida State's defense lead the nation in yards allowed per play (3.86), rank second nationally in total defense (254.14 ypg) and rank in the top six nationally in scoring defense (14.71 ppg), rushing defense (92.29 ypg), pass defense (161.86 ypg), pass efficiency defense (95.43) and opponent three-and-outs (6.29 per game). He earned the Mr. Dependable Skill Award at the team's annual banquet for the second straight year. Shortly after FSU's 31–10 victory over

in the 2013 Orange Bowl, Rhodes announced his decision to forgo his final year of collegiate eligibility, entering the

. "I did all I could in college. If I was to come back, I don't think my status would be getting any better," said Rhodes.

College statistics

Professional career

Pre-draft

Coming out of Florida State, Rhodes was projected as a first-round selection in the

by ''

Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with a circulation of over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellen ...

''.

Minnesota Vikings

The

selected Rhodes in the first round (25th overall) of the

. The pick used to select him was acquired from the

Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...

in a trade for Percy Harvin. He was the fourth cornerback selected in 2013 and was the highest selected

from Florida State since Antonio Cromartie was taken 19th overall by the

San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team in the National Football League (NFL). The Chargers played in San Diego, California from 1961 until 2016, before relocating back to the Greater Los Angeles area, where the franch ...

in the

2006 NFL draft The 2006 NFL draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City, New York, at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with additional coverage offe ...

2013

On July 13, 2013, the Minnesota Vikings signed Rhodes to a four–year, $7.80 million contract that includes $6.33 million guaranteed and a

signing bonus A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee (including a professional sports person) by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive ...

of $4.05 million. Rhodes began training camp slated as a starting cornerback, but saw competition for the role from Josh Robinson. Head coach Leslie Frazier named Rhodes the third cornerback on the depth chart, behind veterans Chris Cook and Josh Robinson. He was also selected to be the starting nickelback in nickel and dime packages. He made his professional regular season debut and first career start in the Minnesota Vikings' season-opener at the

Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...

and recorded three solo tackles in their 34–24 loss. Rhodes made his first career tackle on wide receiver Calvin Johnson after a seven-yard reception in the second quarter. On October 27, 2013, Rhodes recorded a season-high seven solo tackles during a 44–31 loss to the

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...

. In Week 12, Rhodes earned his first start as an outside cornerback after Josh Robinson sustained a fractured

sternum The sternum (: sternums or sterna) or breastbone is a long flat bone located in the central part of the chest. It connects to the ribs via cartilage and forms the front of the rib cage, thus helping to protect the heart, lungs, and major bl ...

the previous week and was expected to be sidelined for a month. Rhodes recorded a season-high four pass deflections and made four solo tackles during a 26–26 tie at the

. On December 8, 2013, Rhodes made three solo tackles and three pass deflections before exiting the Vikings' 29–26 loss at the

Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its home g ...

after sustaining an ankle injury. He was sidelined for the last three games of the season (Weeks 15–17). On December 30, 2013, it was announced that the Minnesota Vikings fired head coach Leslie Frazier after finishing fourth in the NFC North with a 5–10–1 record. He finished his rookie season in 2013 with 48 combined tackles (41 solo) and ten pass deflections in 13 games and six starts.

2014

Rhodes entered training camp slated as one of the starting outside cornerbacks. Head coach Mike Zimmer officially named Rhodes the starter to begin the regular season, along with Captain Munnerlyn. In Week 4, he tied a career-high with four pass deflections and made five combined tackles in the Vikings' 41–28 victory over the

Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...

. On November 16, 2014, Rhodes collected four combined tackles, broke up a pass, and made his first career interception off a pass by

Jay Cutler Jay Christopher Cutler (born April 29, 1983) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons. A member of the Chicago Bears for most of his career, he is ...

during a 21–13 loss at the

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...

in Week 11. In Week 16, Rhodes collected a season-high five solo tackles in the Vikings' 37–35 loss at the

Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...

. He finished the season with 49 combined tackles (39 solo), a career-high 18 pass deflections, and an interception in 16 games and 16 starts. His 18 pass deflections led the Vikings' defense and finished third among all players in the league. The

finished with a 7–9 record, but were able to improve to seventh overall in pass defense after finishing 31st the previous season.

2015

The

acquired

Terence Newman Terence Newman (born September 4, 1978) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a cornerback for 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys, Cincinnati Bengals, and Minnesota Vik ...

and

2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...

first-round pick Trae Waynes in 2015. Defensive coordinator George Edwards named Rhodes the No. 1 starting cornerback, opposite

, to begin the regular season. He started the Minnesota Vikings' season-opener at the

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...

and collected a season-high seven solo tackles in their 20–3 loss. On January 3, 2016, Rhodes made three solo tackles, a pass deflection, and intercepted a pass by

Aaron Rodgers Aaron Charles Rodgers (born December 2, 1983) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the California Golden Bears foo ...

during a 20–13 victory at the

. He finished the season with a career-high 58 combined tackles (55 solo), ten pass deflections, and an interception in 16 games and 16 starts. The Minnesota Vikings finished their second season under head coach Mike Zimmer with an 11–5 record and first in the

NFC North The National Football Conference – Northern Division or NFC North is one of the four divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). Nicknamed the "Black and Blue Division" for the rough and toug ...

. On January 10, 2016, Rhodes started in his first career playoff game and recorded four solo tackles and two pass deflections during a 10–9 loss to the

in the NFC Wild Card Round.

2016

On May 2, 2016, the

opted to exercise the fifth–year, $8.02 million option on Rhodes' rookie contract. Throughout training camp, he competed against Terence Newman, Trae Waynes, and rookie Mackensie Alexander for a role as a starting cornerback. Head coach Mike Zimmer retained Xavier Rhodes and Terence Newman as the starting cornerbacks to begin the regular season. While preparing to play in the season-opener against the

Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. They play the ...

, Rhodes sustained a knee injury while stretching on the field. His injury sidelined him for the first two games (Weeks 1–2) of the season. On October 3, 2016, Rhodes recorded two solo tackles, broke up two passes, and intercepted quarterback

Eli Manning Elisha Nelson Manning (born January 3, 1981) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons with the New York Giants. A member of the Manning family, he is the youngest ...

during a 24–10 victory against the

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...

on ''

Monday Night Football ''Monday Night Football'' (often abbreviated as ''MNF'') is the branding used for broadcasts of National Football League (NFL) games that air on Monday nights. It originally ran on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from 1970 NFL season, 1970 t ...

''. He was a key part of the secondary that held

Odell Beckham Jr. Odell Cornelious Beckham Jr. (born November 5, 1992), commonly known by his initials OBJ, is an American professional American football, football wide receiver. He played college football for the LSU Tigers football, LSU Tigers and was selected ...

to only five receptions for 23–yards. In Week 11, Rhodes recorded three combined tackles (two solo), made two pass deflections, set a season-high with interceptions on passes by quarterback Carson Palmer, and returned one for his first career touchdown as the Vikings defeated the

Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The ...

30–24. He scored the first touchdown of his career in the second quarter after he picked off a pass thrown by Carson Palmer that was intended for wide receiver John Brown in the endzone and returned it 100–yards to score a touchdown. His performance earned him NFC Defensive Player of the Week. On December 20, 2016, Rhodes was voted to the

2017 Pro Bowl The 2017 Pro Bowl (branded as the 2017 Pro Bowl presented by Aquafina for sponsorship reasons) was the National Football League's all-star game for the 2016 season, which was played at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida, on January 29, 20 ...

, marking the first of his career. In Week 16, Rhodes collected a season-high seven combined tackles (six solo) during a 38–25 loss at the

. He finished the season with 52 combined tackles (44 solo), 11 pass deflections, five interceptions, and one touchdown in 14 games and 14 starts. The

were unable to qualify for the playoffs after finishing third in their division with an 8–8 record. Rhodes was ranked the 66th best player in the NFL on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2017.

2017

On July 30, 2017, the

signed Rhodes to a five–year, $70.10 million extension that includes $32.80 million guaranteed upon signing and an initial

of $12.00 million. Head coach Mike Zimmer named Rhodes and Trae Waynes the starting cornerbacks to start the regular season. In Week 6, he recorded two solo tackles, made one pass deflection, and picked off a pass thrown by

Brett Hundley Brett Alan Hundley Jr. (born June 15, 1993) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback. He played college football for the UCLA Bruins football, UCLA Bruins, where he was the school's career leader in both total of ...

to wide receiver Geronimo Allison as the Vikings defeated the

23–10. On November 23, 2017, Rhodes set a season-high with five solo tackles, made two pass deflections, and intercepted a pass by

Matthew Stafford John Matthew Stafford (born February 7, 1988) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs football, Georg ...

during a 30–23 victory at the

. The following week, he tied his season-high of five solo tackles in the Vikings' 14–9 victory at the

in Week 13. On December 19, 2017, it was announced that Rhodes was voted to the

2018 Pro Bowl The 2018 Pro Bowl was the National Football League's all-star game for the 2017 NFL season, 2017 season, which was played at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida on January 28, 2018. For the first time since 2009, the game started during af ...

. He finished the season with 56 combined tackles (44 solo), ten pass deflections, and two interceptions in 16 games and 16 starts. He was named as a first team All-Pro. The

finished atop the NFC North with a 13–3 record and received a first round bye. On January 14, 2018, Rhodes recorded two solo tackles and two pass deflections during the Vikings' 29–24 win against the

New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...

in the NFC Divisional Round. The Vikings were eliminated from the playoffs the following week after losing 38–7 at the

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...

in the

NFC Championship Game The NFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the National Football Conference (NFC) and one of the two semifinal National Football League playoffs, playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional Ame ...

. He was ranked 55th on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2018.

2018

He entered training camp slated as a starting cornerback, but received competition from 2018 NFL Draft, 2018 first-round pick (30th overall) Mike Hughes (American football), Mike Hughes. Head coach Mike Zimmer named Rhodes the No. 1 starting cornerback to begin the season, alongside Trae Waynes. On September 9, 2018, Rhodes started in the Minnesota Vikings' home-opener against the 2018 San Francisco 49ers season, San Francisco 49ers and made two solo tackles, a pass deflection , and made his only interception of the season on a pass by Jimmy Garoppolo to wide receiver Dante Pettis during a 24–16 victory. The following week, he set a season-high with eight solo tackles during a 29–29 overtime tie at the 2018 Green Bay Packers season, Green Bay Packers in Week 2. He was inactive as the Vikings lost 20–30 to the 2018 New Orleans Saints season, New Orleans Saints in Week 8 after injuring his foot. He was also inactive during a 10–24 loss against the 2018 Chicago Bears season, Chicago Bears in Week 17 due to a hamstring injury. He finished the 2018 NFL season with a total of 47 combined tackles (41 solo), one interception, and seven passes defended in 14 games and 14 starts.

2019

He returned as the 2019 Minnesota Vikings season, Minnesota Vikings' No. 1 starting cornerback, alongside Trae Waynes, to begin the regular season for the third season in-a-row. In Week 4, he set a season-high with eight combined tackles (seven solo) and recorded one pass deflection during a 6–16 loss at the 2019 Chicago Bears season, Chicago Bears. On December 2, 2019, Rhodes set a new season-high with eight solo tackles as the Vikings lost 30–37 at the 2019 Seattle Seahawks season, Seattle Seahawks. He finished the 2019 NFL season with a total of 63 combined tackles (54 solo), six passes defended, and one forced fumble in 15 games and 15 starts. He was named to the Pro Bowl.

2020

On March 13, 2020, the 2020 Minnesota Vikings season, Minnesota Vikings released Rhodes after seven seasons.

Indianapolis Colts

On March 30, 2020, the Indianapolis Colts signed Rhodes to a one–year, $4.77 million contract that includes $3.75 million guaranteed. He entered training camp as the projected as a starting cornerback following the departure of Quincy Wilson (cornerback), Quincy Wilson. Head coach Frank Reich named Rhodes the No. 1 starting cornerback on the depth chart to begin the season, alongside Rock Ya-Sin and nickelback Kenny Moore II. On September 27, 2020, Rhodes made one solo tackle, two pass deflections, tied his career-high of two interceptions, and returned one for his second career touchdown on pass attempts thrown by Sam Darnold as the Colts defeated the 2020 New York Jets season, New York Jets 36–7. He scored his touchdown on a pick-six during the games opening drive, intercepting a pass by Sam Darnold to wide receiver Lawrence Cager and returned it 44–yards to score the second touchdown of his career. His performance in Week 3 earned him the AFC Defensive Player of the Week. In Week 6, he recorded three solo tackles and set a season-high with three pass deflections during a 31–27 win against the 2020 Cincinnati Bengals season, Cincinnati Bengals. In Week 15, Rhodes set a season-high with seven solo tackles as the Colts defeated the 2020 Houston Texans season, Houston Texans 27–20. He started all 16 games throughout the 2020 NFL season and finished with a total of 42 combined tackles (35 solo), 12 passes defended, two interceptions, and one touchdown.

2021

On March 24, 2021, the 2021 Indianapolis Colts season, Indianapolis Colts re-signed Rhodes to a one–year contract extension. He returned as the Colts' No. 1 starting cornerback to begin the season, alongside Rock Ya-Sin and nickelback Kenny Moore II. Due to a calf injury he was inactive for the first two games (Weeks 1–2) of the season. On October 24, 2021, Rhodes made four combined tackles (three solo), set a season-high with two pass deflections, and had his only interception of the season on a pass by Jimmy Garoppolo to wide receiver Deebo Samuel during a 30–18 victory at the 2021 San Francisco 49ers season, San Francisco 49ers. He re-injured his calf and would subsequently be sidelined as the Colts defeated the 2021 Jacksonville Jaguars season, Jacksonville Jaguars 23–17 in Week 10. In Week 12, he set a season-high with five combined tackles (four solo) and recorded a pass deflection during a 31–38 loss to the 2021 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season, Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was unable to appear in the Colts' 11–26 loss at the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 18 after injuring his hamstring. He completed the 2021 NFL season with a total of 39 combined tackles (32 solo), seven passes defensed and one interception in 13 games and 13 starts.

Buffalo Bills

2022

On September 28, 2022, the Buffalo Bills signed Rhodes to their practice squad. On November 26, 2022, the Bills promoted him to the active roster. He was released on January 4, 2023.

Dallas Cowboys

On January 7, 2023, the Dallas Cowboys signed Rhodes to their practice squad. On January 16, 2023, Rhodes was elevated to the active roster and made his Cowboys debut against the 2022 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC 2022–23 NFL playoffs#NFC: Dallas Cowboys 31, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 14, Wild Card Round. On January 21, 2023, the Dallas Cowboys elevated Rhodes to the active roster from the practice squad. On January 30, 2023, the Dallas Cowboys officially released Rhodes.

Minnesota Vikings franchise records

* Most passes defended by a rookie: 10 (2013) * Longest interception return: 100 yards (2016)

NFL career statistics

Regular season

References

External links

Florida State Seminoles bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rhodes, Xavier 1990 births Living people American football cornerbacks Buffalo Bills players Dallas Cowboys players Florida State Seminoles football players Indianapolis Colts players Minnesota Vikings players National Conference Pro Bowl players Players of American football from Miami Miami Norland Senior High School alumni