It’s not a ‘revenge game,’ but the Vikings know the Eagles well — and aren’t underestimating them

“It’s all love from me over there and I know it’s vice versa,” said former Eagles cornerback Isaiah Rodgers.

Published Oct. 16, 2025, 4:43 p.m. ET

The Eagles suffered their second straight loss last week, this time at the hands of a division rival, but the team has a chance get back on track with a road matchup against the Minnesota Vikings.

Heading into Sunday’s game, there are still plenty of unanswered questions. The 3-2 Vikings, coming off a bye week after a 21-17 win over the Cleveland Browns in London, haven’t determined who will be the starting quarterback — former Eagles first-round pick Carson Wentz or 22-year-old J.J. McCarthy, who is working his way back from a high ankle sprain. And the Eagles could be without their star cornerback.

Here’s what the Vikings are saying about Sunday’s game …

Familiar players won’t ‘underestimate’ the Eagles

If Wentz is named the starter Sunday, he won’t be the only player on the field competing against his former team. Cornerback Isaiah Rodgers is excited to reunite with his old teammates, but he’s treating it as a normal game.

“It’s just Minnesota Vikings vs. Philadelphia Eagles, I’m not trying to make the game bigger than it has to be,” Rodgers told reporters. “It’s not [an] Isaiah Rodgers’ revenge game or anything like that. It’s all love from me over there and I know it’s vice versa. Me and the fan base, me and the front office over there, everything is still cool.”

Rodgers was signed by the Eagles in August 2023 while sitting out the entire season due to a gambling suspension. He was reinstated in April 2024, and started three games for the Eagles last season and earned a Super Bowl title with a couple of big plays, including a fumble recovery in the snow during the team’s divisional-round win over the Los Angeles Rams.

However, in March, Rodgers signed a two-year contract with the Vikings. But he still knows the Eagles well.

“There’s a lot of playmakers over there,” Rodgers said. “You can’t come into the game looking at the stats or anything like that. You got to give them the respect that they’ve earned. There’s a lot of playmakers over there and they can turn it on and make it a game anytime they want.

“I just know that Jalen [Hurts] can do what Jalen needs to do, A.J. [Brown] can find a way to get open, and Saquon [Barkley] can catch the ball, and Dallas Goedert [is] over there as well. Just got to lock in and go into the game with full amount of respect. [DeVonta Smith] got my respect before he even went to the Eagles. But practicing with those guys, I know what they’re capable of. Can’t go into a game looking at the stat sheets.”

While the Eagles have had their struggles trying to find an outside cornerback to start opposite Quinyon Mitchell, Rodgers has played well for the Vikings. In a Week 3 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, Rodgers forced two fumbles, returned one for a touchdown, and added a pick-six for good measure.

Another player who is quite familiar with the Eagles is defensive lineman Jonathan Allen. Allen spent eight years playing in Washington before signing a three-year contract with the Vikings in the offseason. Despite the Eagles’ two-game losing streak, Allen doesn’t plan on underestimating them.

“I’ve been playing them twice a year for my entire career,” Allen told reporters. “So, I know the physicality they want to bring and we’re excited to be able to match that. I think for us, the last thing we need to do is underestimate Philly. They are the reigning Super Bowl champions for a reason. So, we’re going into it focusing on what we have to do to improve, and we’re excited to show you guys what we can do.”

Saquon Barkley’s struggles

Barkley hasn’t been nearly as productive as he was last season — in part because of the offense’s overall struggles, but also because he’s running behind a banged-up offensive line. Over six games, the three-time Pro Bowler has recorded just 95 carries for 325 yards and three touchdowns.

Despite the running game’s lackluster start, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell is still using practice time to work on limiting the run.

“Obviously, [Barkley’s] one of the best players in the league,” O’Connell told reporters. “He’s the starting point of what you have to try to limit from the standpoint of he doesn’t just run the football well and kind of control the game. They’ve proven time and time again that if they have success running the football, they can time the possession, eat up clock, keep things manageable, Jalen can make a bunch of plays on third down to extend drives and give them more opportunities to run it.

“But, it’s also the explosive runs. … It’s one of those teams where they’re really good at the things that they do and you’ve got to be really good at some fundamental, simple things on the chalkboard. But, you got to do them. And you got to make sure that you consistently do them every play, because he can change it in a heartbeat with one touch.”

While the Eagles try to recover from two losses in five days, Vikings outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard is looking to add another blemish to their record.

“I know they’re definitely going to try to get back on track,” Greenard said. “They’re on a two-game losing streak. So, they’re going to try to come back and get on track, run the ball and try to make the game a little bit more simple for them and obviously, try to get to what they do best.”