Read the full transcript from ILB Jacob Rodriguez's media availability on October 21, 2026.
What do you feel like is a point of emphasis from the coaches after you guys have gotten back together about things to focus on and improve in the next five games as opposed to the first five?
Jacob Rodriguez: I think it's the same thing. I think the message has stayed the same, just trust and belief in each other and connection part of it. Just continue to play good football. I think if we eliminate a lot of the penalties that we've had and if we avoid negative plays, offense and defensively and special teams, if we just avoid negative plays, we play clean football, a lot of the stuff that when we're in close games, it'll fall our way. And so we got to do a better job of just playing a good brand of football.
I imagine everyone obviously every middle linebacker studies a lot of film. Do you think you enjoy it more than some players you've been around do? How enjoyable is the process of studying film, looking for nuances and opposing offenses for you?
Jacob Rodriguez: I mean, I'd like to think that it's more enjoyable to me than other people, but I guess you never know. I think it's fun. I think that's where the game is meant to be played, in your head. And so the more you can see it, the more reps you get mentally. I mean, it's the same thing as a walkthrough, same thing as anything else, the more you see it, the faster you can play. It's all we're trying to do is play as fast as we can, play as physical as we can, and that just starts with kind of knowing where the ball's going to go. If we can find any tendency in film we're watching, either evaluating ourselves or evaluating an opponent, I think just spending time to do that is worth it.
Obviously along with Chris Johnson, you guys are in the top 10 most tackles by rookies. I know sometimes you don't like to talk about yourself too much. You're leading obviously, but what can you tell me about your partner and your teammate Chris Johnson?
Jacob Rodriguez: Chris is the best. I think he's a true pro, and he comes in and works every day. You always see him up here. You always see him talking to coaches, trying to get better. He's always working on his craft, working on his feet and his hands. He's a really good nickel. He's a really good player in the slot. But then if we do put him outside, he's very capable and he's going to be elite in this league. I truly believe that with how hard he works, how hard he prepares his body. There's not many physical corners out there, and I think he's one of them. It's really fun to see.
