As he continues to establish himself as an impact player for the Vikings, cornerback Isaiah Rodgers made it clear this week that he doesn’t have any ill will as he prepares to face his former team.

He only feels gratitude that the Philadelphia Eagles gave him a second chance.

That wasn’t guaranteed for Rodgers after he was suspended in June 2023 for violating the NFL’s policy on gambling. He was cut by the Indianapolis Colts as soon as the suspension was finalized, despite showing flashes early in his career.

To his credit, Rodgers took full responsibility at the time, acknowledging that he made a mistake and vowing to take accountability for his actions. He was signed by the Eagles in August 2023 despite the fact that he wasn’t allowed to be a part of the team in any capacity during his suspension.

“It meant everything to me,” Rodgers said. “They welcomed me with open arms. They knew what type of player I was. We were able to put everything in the past.”

Though he was technically a member of the organization throughout his suspension, Rodgers still lived in an awkward state of limbo until April 2024 when he was officially reinstated. There was an occasion during that span that Rodgers remembers seeing Eagles receiver Devonta Smith at a store in Tampa, Fla. They didn’t interact at all.

“He didn’t even know I was his teammate,” Rodgers said. “I knew no players on the team.”

That changed once Rodgers was back in the mix. He established himself as a valuable depth piece last season as the Eagles put together a run that ended with them defeating the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl.

All the while, Rodgers knew he could bring more to the table. He wasn’t content simply being a backup who filled in when a starter was injured. Asked how he kept himself motivated in the meantime, he replied, “Just being grateful to even be in the league.”

That sentence made Rodgers pause for a few seconds. He knows he wasn’t entitled to the second chance that was afforded to him following his suspension. He made a promise to himself that he wasn’t going to take it for granted.

“It was a moment that forced me to wake up,” Rodgers said. “I had realize that football could be gone tomorrow.”

That gave him valuable perspective that he still carries with him.

“That time away was very much needed,” Rodgers said. “I focused on being a better person off the field.”

That might have made him a better player on the field.

The skill set that Rodgers displayed in spot minutes with the Eagles was enough for the Vikings to be interested in free agency. Asked why he decided to sign with the Vikings, Rodgers pointed to the role he discussed with defensive coordinator Brian Flores.

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“I wanted more,” Rodgers said. “I think coming here was a chance to reset my career.”

That’s proven to be the case for Rodgers so far, as he’s slowly developing into a star for the Vikings. The highlight was, of course, earlier this season when Rodgers scored a pair of defensive touchdowns and forced a pair of fumbles in a win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

Not that he’s satisfied.

“I just want to keep showing everybody what I’m capable of,” Rodgers said. “I know I can play in this league. Not really proving the doubters wrong. More so proving the people who believed in me right.”

More than 2,000 Prince fans, followers and theatergoers waited in lines that stretched around the block Thursday night to catch the first-ever public performance of the “Purple Rain” musical at the State Theatre in downtown Minneapolis.

First announced in January 2024, and delayed six months to “allow for more time for creative development,” the musical’s first three weeks are previews. Think of it as a work in progress. Producers use these early performances to gauge what works, and what doesn’t, and to measure how audiences respond to the proceedings on stage.

It’s standard practice for shows so new that, according to Tony-nominated director Lileana Blain-Cruz in her pre-show introduction, Thursday was only the second time the cast had performed the musical in full. It’s likely that there will be changes made in the weeks to come. With an intermission, opening night ran more than three hours, so some edits seem inevitable.

As such, this is not a proper review of “Purple Rain.” It officially opens Nov. 5 and that’s when critics will weigh in on the show’s merits. Instead, this is merely observations from the first performance.

It’s not the story of Prince

Producers have rights to the 1984 film “Purple Rain,” but do not have rights to Prince’s personal story. And the film is only semi-autobiographical and reflects some actual details about Prince among plenty of sheer fiction.

Still, it can be difficult to separate the two. The Prince character is named the Kid in the show, but many of the other roles are named after actual people who appeared in the movie, like drummer Bobby Z. and vocalist Apollonia. Plus, both the original film and soundtrack were massive, worldwide hits that instantly turned Prince into a superstar. For many, their Prince memories began with the image of the Purple One perched on his motorcycle.

Something to keep in mind while watching “Purple Rain” is that newcomer Kris Kollins isn’t playing Prince. He’s playing Prince playing the Kid.

It feels like a Broadway show

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Producers have said from the start that the plan is to bring “Purple Rain” to Broadway after its hometown debut. With a reported budget of $26.5 million, the show very much looks and feels like a full Broadway production, not a slimmed-down version like many touring shows.

That means a large cast of actors and musicians performing on a lavish set with a number of costume changes. The aforementioned Bobby Z. along with fellow Prince associate Morris Hayes serve as musical advisers, which helped ensure Prince’s music is presented in its true spirit.

The cast and crew are stocked with seasoned Broadway professionals, including two-time Tony Award winner and Pulitzer Prize recipient Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, who wrote the book, and Tony Award winner Jason Michael Webb as the music supervisor who provides musical arrangements and orchestrations for the production.

It gets dark

The film is remembered for Prince’s otherworldly performances, captured live on stage at First Avenue (which is renamed “the First” in the musical). But it took some dark and sexist turns, including a scene with a woman being thrown into a dumpster. The Kid also physically assaults Apollonia at one point.

The musical both reflects that sexism and counters it. Jacobs-Jenkins fleshes out Apollonia’s character and uses Prince’s bandmates Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman to question the male-centered culture of the time.

While there is some humor and plenty of memorable music, the show also examines mental health issues and portrays abuse in graphic ways. And, like the film, explicit language is plentiful.

The casting will spur discussion

The trick with a jukebox musical like this that portrays an iconic figure like Prince is that it’s an almost impossible task to find an actor who can live up to the Purple One’s presence.

Performing in Minneapolis, Kollins faces a level of scrutiny he won’t on Broadway, or any other place “Purple Rain” may play. As the musical makes abundantly clear, Prince was a Minnesotan. And many in the audiences for the musical likely saw Prince live, multiple times even, and have close connections to those in his orbit. Many Minnesotans of a certain age have their own Prince stories, from longtime fans who made late-night pilgrimages to Paisley Park to employees of Prince haunts like the Dakota and Electric Fetus to neighbors who frequently spotted him riding his bike around Chanhassen.

Kollins is surrounded by top-notch performers, including seasoned Broadway vet Rachel Webb as Apollonia and “Hamilton” actor Jared Howelton, whose over-the-top portrayal of Morris Day is hilarious.

It’s full of Prince’s music

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“Purple Rain” opens with the Kid performing live at the First and, numerous times, the musical shifts more into concert territory. These scenes sparkle with excitement and, Thursday night, had some audience members cheering and occasionally weeping.

The musical includes the familiar tracks from the excellent soundtrack, from “Let’s Go Crazy” to “I Would Die 4 U” to “When Doves Cry.” It also incorporates other Prince-penned songs, including “Kiss,” “Nothing Compares 2 U” and “U Got the Look.”

Whatever they may think about the production as a whole, it’s hard to imagine theatergoers not leaving stunned by the performances of “The Beautiful Ones” and “Darling Nikki,” two moments when “Purple Rain” truly captures the man, the myth and the legend.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Friday he had commuted the sentence of former U.S. Rep. George Santos, who is serving more than seven years in federal prison after pleading guilty to fraud and identity theft charges.

The New York Republican was sentenced in April after admitting last year to deceiving donors and stealing the identities of 11 people — including his own family members — to make donations to his campaign.

He reported to Federal Correctional Institution in Fairton, in southern New Jersey, on July 25 and is being housed in a minimum security prison camp with fewer than 50 other inmates.

“I just signed a Commutation, releasing George Santos from prison, IMMEDIATELY,” Trump posted on his social media platform.

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Santos had appealed to the Trump administration to intercede within hours of receiving his sentence, insisting in social media posts and interviews that it was overly harsh and politically motivated.

A prominent former House colleague, U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, also urged the White House to commute his sentence, saying in a letter sent just days into his prison bid that the punishment was “a grave injustice” and a product of judicial overreach.

The judge in Santos’ case had agreed with federal prosecutors that a stiffer sentence was warranted because Santos didn’t seem remorseful, despite what he and his lawyers claimed.

Santos’ commutation is Trump’s latest high-profile act of clemency for former Republican politicians since retaking the White House in January.

In late May, he pardoned former U.S. Rep. Michael Grimm, a New York Republican who in 2014 pleaded guilty to underreporting wages and revenue at a restaurant he ran in Manhattan.

He also pardoned former Connecticut Gov. John Rowland, whose promising political career was upended by a corruption scandal and two federal prison stints.

Trump himself was convicted in a New York court last year in a case involving hush money payments. He derided the case as part of a politically motivated witch hunt.

Santos was once an up-and-coming star for the GOP.

He became the first openly gay Republican elected to Congress in 2022, flipping a House seat representing parts of Queens and Long Island.

But Santos served less than a year in office after it was revealed that he had fabricated much of his life story, which in turn led to investigations into how the then-unknown politician had funded his winning campaign.

A son of Brazilian immigrants, Santos had claimed he was a successful business consultant with Wall Street cred and a sizable real estate portfolio.

He eventually admitted he had never graduated from Baruch College — or been a standout player on the Manhattan college’s volleyball team, as he had claimed. He had never worked at Citigroup and Goldman Sachs.

He wasn’t even Jewish. Santos insisted he meant he was “Jew-ish” because his mother’s family had a Jewish background, even though he was raised Catholic.

In truth, the then-34-year-old was struggling financially and even faced eviction.

Santos was charged in 2023 with stealing from donors and his campaign, fraudulently collecting unemployment benefits and lying to Congress about his wealth.

Within months, he was expelled from the U.S. House of Representatives — just the sixth member in the chamber’s history to be ousted by colleagues.

Santos pleaded guilty the following year just as he was set to stand trial.

The Gophers secondary continues to be the position group hit hardest by injuries so far this season.

Minnesota’s unavailability report listed top cornerback John Nestor as questionable to play against No. 25 Nebraska on Friday night at Huntington Bank Stadium. Cornerback Mike Gerald and safety Garrison Monroe are listed as out, according to the U. They have been out for multiple weeks.

A shortage of defensive backs might be a bigger problem against dynamic Cornhuskers quarterback Dylan Raiola. The sophomore signal caller has completed 73% of his passes for 16 touchdowns and five interceptions this season.

Two pieces of good news: redshirt junior safety Aidan Gousby and true freshman cornerback Naiim Parrish missed last week’s game but were not listed on the unavailability report Friday, setting up the option Gousby, and possibly Parrish, to play.

Nestor has played 90% of defensive snaps this season and leads the team with three interceptions and five pass-breakups. He is fourth with 21 total tackles.

With Gerald out against Purdue, Nestor played 81 of 88 snaps, Za’Quan Bryan played 64 and Jai’Onte McMillan — usually a nickel back and safety — stepped in to play 48 snaps at cornerback.

The Gophers also listed these players as out: linebacker Jeff Roberson, defensive lineman Theo Randle, offensive lineman DJ Shopp, receiver Cristian Driver, running back Tre Berry and kicker Sam Henson.

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