- Hired as Cardinals special teams coordinator in 2018 after working in the same capacity for three seasons (2015-17) with the Chicago Bears. Added the title of assistant head coach in 2019.
- Has 24 years of coaching experience, including 21 seasons coaching special teams in the NFL with Arizona (2018-24), Chicago (2015-17), Denver (2011-14), Carolina (2009-10) and San Francisco (2003-07).
- In 2024, K Chad Ryland and RB DeeJay Dallas (as a kick returner) earned Pro Bowl alternate honors working under Rodgers. Ryland connecting on 28-of-32 FG attempts and 26-of-27 PATs for a team-high 110 total points in just 13 games played after joining the team in October. Dallas became the first player in the NFL to return one of the new "dynamic kickoffs" for a TD with his 96-yard return at Buffalo in Week 1.
- Over the past two seasons, P Blake Gillikin has put up the top-two single-season punting averages in franchise history: 50.6 in 2023 and 49.7 in 2024. His 50.6 average in '23 also ranked third in the NFL that season.
- K Matt Prater set a Cardinals franchise single-season record with 9 FGs of 50+ yards in 2023, including an NFL single-season record 6 FGs of 55+ yards. He holds a Cardinals franchise record for made FGs of 50+ yards with 22 in just 51 games over four seasons (2021-24) under Rodgers and has the longest FG in franchise history (62 yards, twice).
- Prater had 137 points in 2021, the second-highest total in franchise history and tied for the fourth-highest total in the NFL.
- P Andy Lee finished in the top-five in the NFL in punting average three times over five seasons (2018-22) working with Rodgers on the Cardinals, including leading the league with a 48.6-yard average in 2018.
- Denver returned six kicks for TDs during Rodgers tenure with the Broncos (2011-14), tied for the second most in the NFL in that span. In 2012, Trindon Holliday became the first player in NFL history to record multiple return TDs in a playoff game when he scored on a 90-yard punt return and a 104-yard kickoff return in a 38-35 double-overtime loss to the Ravens.
- In Denver, Prater was named to the Pro Bowl in 2013 after setting franchise records in field goal percentage (96.2%; 25-of-26) and points scored (150). Prater's 64-yard field goal in 2013 was the longest in NFL history, until it was eclipsed by Justin Tucker (66 yards) in 2021. In 2014, Connor Barth's 93.8 field-goal percentage (15-of-16) was the second-highest in team history.
Jeff Rodgers is in his eighth season with the Cardinals and seventh as the team's assistant head coach/special teams coordinator. He came to Arizona in January, 2018 as the team's special teams coordinator and added the title of assistant head coach in 2019. Rodgers is in his 22nd NFL season after previously coaching special teams with Chicago (2015-17), Denver (2011-14), Carolina (2009-10) and San Francisco (2003-07).
With the Cardinals in 2024, K Chad Ryland was selected as a Pro Bowl alternate after connecting on 28-of-32 FG attempts and 26-of-27 PATs for a team-high 110 total points in just 13 games played. Ryland joined the team in October and became just the third player in NFL history to have three-game winning FGs in the 4th quarter/OT in his first four games with a team. P Blake Gillikin punted 38 times for 1,887 yards (49.7 avg.) in 13 games and had 19 punts landed inside the 20-yard line with just one touchback. He was the only punter in the NFL last season to have at least 30 punts with one or fewer touchbacks. In 2023, he set a franchise single-season record with a 50.6-yard punting average, which also ranked 3rd in the NFL that season.
Both Gillikin (NFC Special Teams Player of the Week—Week 9) and Ryland (NFC Special Teams Player of the Month---October) were honored in 2024. KR DeeJay Dallas had a 96-yard kickoff return for a TD in the season opener, becoming the first player in the NFL to return a new dynamic kickoff for a TD.
Long-time veteran K Matt Prater had a lot of success under Rodgers with the Cardinals. He totaled 106 points in 2023, his 12th career season with 100+ points. Only six players in NFL history have more seasons of 100+ points. Prater also set a franchise single-season record (and a career-high) with nine FGs of 50+ yards in 2023, including an NFL single-season record of six FGs of 55+ yards. His 62-yard FG against Dallas in Week 3 of 2023 tied his own franchise record that he originally set in 2021. The 62-yarder was the longest FG in the NFL in 2023.
In four seasons working with Rodgers on the Cardinals, Prater holds the team record for made FGs of 50+ yards with 22 in 51 games. In his first season with Arizona in 2021, Prater had 137 points, the second-highest total in franchise history and tied for the fourth-highest total in the NFL. He was also named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week three times with the Cardinals.
Veteran P Andy Lee punted for five seasons under the guidance of Rodgers and finished in the top-five in the NFL in punting average three times over those five years, including leading the league with a 48.6-yard average in 2018. Lee finished 2nd in the NFL with a 47.8-yard punting average in 2019, the second consecutive season working with Rodgers that he finished in the top-two in the NFL in punting average. In 2021, he finished 3rd in the NFL and established a then franchise single-season record with a 49.0-yard punting average and in 2022, Lee averaged 47.1 yards per punt.
In 2020, the Cardinals special teams unit featured three players who all entered the NFL as undrafted rookies in 2018: LB Dennis Gardeck, WR Trent Sherfield and LB Zeke Turner. Gardeck served as a special teams captain four straight seasons (2020-23) and was selected as a Pro Bowl alternate in both 2019 and 2022. Turner tied for the team lead with 15 special teams tackles in 2020 to go along with two blocked punts and a reception on a fake punt. Sherfield had a career-high 10 special teams tackles and two fumble recoveries.
K Zane Gonzalez set career highs and ranked 4th in the NFL in 2019 in both total points (127) and made FGs (31). His 31 FGs remain the third-most in a single season in team history while his 127 points are tied for the fourth-best single-season total in franchise history.
In 2018, Arizona's special teams developed into one of the league's best. The Cardinals finished the season with the NFL's #5 ranked unit after finishing #30 in 2017. Turner led the NFL with 13 solo special teams tackles while Gardeck led all NFL rookies with 388 special teams snaps. In the Cardinals season finale at Seattle, Gardeck had a deflected punt and recovered a Cameron Malveaux blocked punt in the end zone for a touchdown. It was Arizona's first blocked punt for a touchdown since 2008.
While working with Chicago, the Bears had three special teams TDs in 2017 (two punt returns, one fake punt), tied with the Rams for the most in the NFL. Rookie PR Tarik Cohen averaged 9.4 yards per punt return in 2017 (9th in the NFL) and had a 61-yard return for a TD while KR Deonte Thompson ranked 2nd in the NFL in 2016 in kickoff return yards (804). P Pat O'Donnell allowed just 22 punt returns in 2016, tied for the third fewest in the NFL among punters who appeared in all 16 games.
Prior to Chicago, Rodgers spent four seasons as the special teams coordinator with the Broncos. During his time in Denver, the Broncos ranked 10th in the NFL in gross punting average (45.6 yards per punt) and 11th in net punting average (39.6 yards per punt). Denver's six total kick return TDs (four punt/two kickoff) were tied for the second most in the NFL during Rodgers tenure.
Prater, who kicked with the Broncos under Rodgers, was named to the Pro Bowl following the 2013 season after setting franchise records in FG percentage (96.2%, 25-of-26) and points scored (150). His 64-yard field goal on December 8, 2013 is the second-longest FG in NFL history. In 2014, K Connor Barth's 93.8 field goal percentage (15-of-16) was the second-highest season total in team history. In Rodgers' second season in Denver in 2012, the Broncos special teams allowed the 2nd-lowest punt return average (6.2 ypr) and the 7th-lowest kickoff return average (22.1 ypr) in the NFL. During the Divisional Playoffs that season, Trindon Holliday became the first player in NFL history to record a punt return TD (90 yards) and kickoff return TD (104 yards) in a postseason game. In 2011, Denver ranked 3rd in the NFL in punt return average (12.7 ypr) and one of just three teams in the league with multiple punt return TDs: Arizona (4), Denver (2), Chicago (2). P Britton Colquitt set single-season franchise records for gross (47.4) and net punting (40.2) averages and broke his own team record the following year with a 42.1-yard net average.
Rodgers began his coaching career at the University of Arizona in 2001, spending two seasons as a graduate assistant working with the secondary and linebackers under head coach John Mackovic. He entered the NFL coaching ranks with San Francisco in 2003 as a special teams quality control coach for two seasons before being elevated to assistant special teams coach (2005-07). During his five seasons with the 49ers, LS Brian Jennings (2004) and P Andy Lee (2007) both earned Pro Bowl selections. Lee set an NFL single-season record with 42 punts inside the 20-yard line (since broken) and ranked 2nd in the NFL with a 41.0 net punting average in 2007. After leaving the 49ers, Rodgers served as the special teams coordinator for one season at Kansas State in 2008.
Following Kansas State, Rodgers spent two seasons in Carolina, first as the Panthers special teams assistant (2009) before serving as special teams coordinator in 2010. He played linebacker at North Texas (1996-2000) where he earned a degree in Business, specializing in Entrepreneurship and Strategic Management. A St. Paul, MN native, Rodgers attended Westlake (Austin, TX) High School.
