Two-way players are rare in the modern NFL, but Malcolm Rodriguez has played both offense and defense for the Lions this season, and his workload is likely to increase on both sides of the ball.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell said today that he wants Rodriguez, who caught the first pass of his career on Thanksgiving, to get more playing time both at fullback and at linebacker this week against the Saints.
“He’s gonna have to take on a bigger load. He plays a little bit on defense and we’re gonna need him more on offense, too,” Campbell said. “So we’re gonna stretch him out a little bit here but he can handle it. He’s got hands, too, you saw that, can flip his hips. He’s tough, he’s got leverage. He’s smart. So it’s pretty impressive, it’s pretty impressive. . . . We’re maximizing the roster. . . . Rodrigo’s doing a great job. . . . We’re just letting this kid grow a little bit, see where he can go.”
Rodriguez has been on the field for 20 offensive snaps and 66 defensive snaps this season, plus 187 plays on special teams, which has been his primary responsibility this season. But after that catch on Thanksgiving against the Packers, Rodriguez showed that he can do more as a fullback than the short-yardage blocking that he was initially called upon to do. And on defense the Lions think he can step up with linebacker Alex Anzalone currently injured. Rodriguez may get significant playing time in all three phases on Sunday.