Armani

Rogers

Rogers’ NFL career includes stints with the Commanders, Eagles and Falcons. He also notably suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon in May 2023. He now gets a chance to carve out a backup role with the Bills.

Rogers is expected to undergo surgery next week but is out indefinitely. Expected to battle for a spot in training camp behind Logan Thomas, this is a tough blow for Rogers, who converted to tight end upon entering the NFL Draft last offseason. It’s possible he’ll return at some point late in the season, but that feels like the best case scenario.

No timetable has been given for Rogers’ return, as he’s expected to undergo further testing to determine the severity of his injury. Rogers signed with Washington as a UDFA last season after converting to tight end during the pre-draft process. As a rookie, he caught five passes for 64 yards and is expected to compete for a backup role on the team this season.

A quarterback at UNLV and Ohio, Rogers (6'5/233) made the switch to tight end during the pre-draft process, playing there during the East-West Shrine Bowl. Not invited to the Combine, Rogers ran a 4.58 40 at his Pro Day with a 34-inch vertical and impressive 10-foot-10 broad jump. Rogers earned good reviews for his work at the Shrine Bowl, and he has the desired athletic traits for a receiving tight end. Whether he can learn his new position quickly enough to latch onto an NFL roster, however, remains to be seen.

Rogers (6'5/225) completed 3-of-5 passes for 14 yards and rushed three times for 11 yards before being benched against Kent State in favor of Kurtis Rourke. Through eight games, Rogers has attempted only 43 passes on the season, completing 60.5% of his passes for a mere 327 yards, no touchdowns and one interception. Most of his damage has been done on the ground, as Rogers has rushed 64 times for 497 yards and six scores. In relief of Rogers, Rourke completed 31-of-38 passes for 307 yards, no touchdowns and one interception while rushing for another 49 yards and two touchdowns.

Rogers (6'5/225) didn’t throw a touchdown pass on Saturday, completing 6-of-10 passes for 75 yards with zero interceptions. But he did get to the end-zone twice as a rusher, and finished the day leading his team in that category -- ahead of any true running back. Rogers carried the ball 22 times for 183 yards with two touchdowns. Running back De’Montre Tuggle finished second behind him -- by a large margin -- carrying the ball eight times for 46 yards with one touchdown.

Rogers (6'5/225) and the Bobcats didn’t get much going on Saturday against Central Michigan, as they totaled just 190 passing yards, but did the majority of their work on the ground. Rogers didn’t throw for a score, but managed to run one in on a four yard rush in the second quarter to tie the game at 10-10. Rogers rushed 15 times for 37 yards in this one, as he now has 242 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the season. Now at 1-5, Ohio will look to rebound next week at Buffalo.

Rogers (6'5/225) started the second half for the Bobcats as the quarterback down 17-10 and never looked back. The offense looked much more comfortable under Rogers, as they ran off 24 points and took over the game on the ground. As Ohio prepares to host Central Michigan on Saturday, the quarterback position will be one to monitor throughout the week.

Rourke (6'3/211) was engaged in a competition with Armani Rogers, with whom he split the duties last season, for much of fall camp. But the redshirt freshman won the job and, in Saturday’s opener, he took the majority of the snaps. Rourke didn’t have a great game, as he completed 21-of-28 passes for 142 yards and an interception and Ohio failed to cash in on multiple trips to the red zone. But he did notice a difference with regard to his being able to establish a rhythm. “It’s definitely easier to stay in the game and to be able to have the momentum to keep going,” Rourke said. “The coaches put trust in me and my team put trust in me. If they call my name, I’m going to be ready for as long as they need me.” Expect the Bobcats to take a similar approach when they host Duquesne.

Rogers (6'2/225) took over for Kurtis Rourke when he suffered a shoulder injury against Bowling Green last Saturday. While the redshirt senior only completed two-of-three passes, he did managed to throw a touchdown pass and rush eight times for 65 yards and a touchdown in the 52-10 blowout. When asked about who will get the starting nod Saturday, HC Frank Solich indicated Rogers is likely to take the first snaps under center. Rourke’s health status will be a situation to monitor in warmups.