Vikings DL Levi Drake Rodriguez has been named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week, the NFL announced today.
In the Vikings’ Week 9 victory against the Detroit Lions, Rodriguez blocked K Jake Bates’ 45-yard field goal attempt in the fourth quarter. Vikings CB Isaiah Rodgers returned the blocked field goal attempt 41 yards to set up the Vikings final scoring drive of the game. It marked Rodriguez’s first career field goal block and the first career blocked field goal attempt for Bates.
It was the Vikings second field goal block of the season and first since Week 4 against Pittsburgh in Dublin. Minnesota is one of three teams to block two field goals this season, joining Houston and Philadelphia. Since 2000, it is tied for the Vikings second-most field goal blocks in a season, and it is the first time Minnesota has recorded the feat since 2012 (Week 3 vs. San Francisco and Week 12 at Chicago).
Rodriguez, who earns Player of the Week honors for the first time in his career, is the third Viking to win NFC Player of the Week honors this season. He joins QB J.J. McCarthy, who was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week in Week 1, and Rodgers, who was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week in Week 3.
The defensive lineman becomes just the ninth non-specialist and second defensive player in team history to win the award, joining RB Moe Williams (1999), WR Aundrae Allison (2007), WR Percy Harvin (2009, 2010), WR Cordarrelle Patterson (2013), WR Adam Thielen (2014), CB Marcus Sherels (2015), RB Mike Boone (2020) and RB Kene Ngwangwu (2021, 2022).
This award marks the 17th NFC Player of the Week award under Vikings Head Coach Kevin O’Connell in 59 games, and the fifth NFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors under Special Teams Coordinator Matt Daniels.
Levi Drake Rodriguez
VIKINGS NAMED NFC PLAYER OF THE WEEK UNDER O’CONNELL
Special Teams Greg Joseph, K 2022, Week 4, vs. New Orleans (London)
Special Teams Ryan Wright, P 2022, Week 6, at Miami
Defense Za’Darius Smith, OLB 2022, Week 8, vs. Arizona
Offense Justin Jefferson, WR 2022, Week 10, at Buffalo
Special Teams Kene Nwangwu, KR 2022, Week 12, vs. New England
Offense Kirk Cousins, QB 2022, Week 15, vs. Indianapolis
Special Teams Greg Joseph, K 2022, Week 16, vs. New York Giants
Defense Jordan Hicks, LB 2023, Week 6, at Chicago
Defense Camryn Bynum, S 2023, Week 7, vs. San Francisco
Offense Joshua Dobbs, QB 2023, Week 9, at Atlanta
Defense Ivan Pace Jr., LB 2023, Week 14, at Las Vegas
Defense Jonathan Greenard, OLB 2024, Week 3, vs. Houston
Offense Sam Darnold, QB 2024, Week 14, vs. Atlanta
Defense Andrew Van Ginkel, OLB 2024, Week 16, at Seattle
Offense J.J. McCarthy, QB 2025, Week 1, at Chicago
Defense Isaiah Rodgers, CB 2025, Week 3, vs. Cincinnati
Special Teams Levi Drake Rodriguez, DL 2025, Week 9, at Detroit
(info and images courtesy of the Minnesota Vikings)
