When the Buffalo Bills informed wide receiver Isaiah Hodgins that he would be cut following an impressive preseason, he was heartbroken. He had worked diligently throughout the offseason and expected a spot on the 53-man roster.
Instead, Hodgins hit the open market and went unclaimed.
“We were expecting baby No. 2, so I was like, I’m going to be on the active roster and I’m going to buy a house with this money,” Hodgins told the Sports Spectrum Podcast. “I had all of these plans…”
Hodgins chalked it up to God having a plan for him, which is something that would eventually be reinforced in a rather divine way.
After being re-signed to the Bills’ practice squad, Hodgins anxiously awaited his turn. The first month came and went without an activation but that changed in Week 5 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Bills needed an extra wide receiver for the game and Hodgins got the nod. He was signed to the active roster and responded with four receptions for 41 yards and two first downs.
But that was about it for Hodgins. He was used sparingly over the next several weeks before heartbreak found him again. Ahead of Week 10, Bills general manager Brandon Beane called the wide receiver into his office and informed him that he would again be cut. The hope was that they’d be able to sign Hodgins back to their practice squad.
Around that same time, Hodgins was attending a Church in Buffalo and he was one of three who were prophesized over. The pastor, who was unaware that Hodgins played professional football, informed the receiver that bigger and better things were just around the bend.
“He said, ‘Listen, you got brought here to be sent. Buffalo isn’t your finishing place,'” Hodgins recalled. “He was like, ‘I see your face on TV and in media but don’t let it get to your head.'”
That provided Hodgins comfort but he didn’t need to lean on it for too long. Almost immediately after getting cut by the Bills for a second time, and just a week after the pastor told him change was coming, Hodgins’ phone lit up.
First, it was his agent. Then it was New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen. And lastly, it was head coach Brian Daboll.
Hodgins was, in fact, on his way out of Buffalo and would soon find himself plastered all over the television and throughout the media just as the pastor has prophesized. He landed on the Giants’ active roster and played a significant role for a playoff team.
Hodgins appeared in eight regular-season games for the Giants and started five. He hauled in 33 receptions for 351 yards and one touchdown, and then had the best performance of his entire career on Super Wild Card Weekend against the Minnesota Vikings (eight receptions for 105 yards and one touchdown).
“It was a surreal year,” Hodgins said.
Although nothing was guaranteed heading into the offseason, the Giants were quick to re-sign Hodgins. He is expected to take on an even larger role in 2023 with eyes on landing a long-term contract.
