The past few months have been a whirlwind for Detroit Lions linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez. The 25-year-old was in the middle of one of his best seasons in the NFL, collecting 43 tackles, two sacks, and a pass deflection in the first 10 games before he tore his ACL during a Thanksgiving victory over the Chicago Bears.
Rodriguez rehabbed while the Lions signed teammate Derrick Barnes to a three-year, $24 million extension this offseason, and he faces an uncertain future as he heads into the final year of his rookie deal.
All of these are important events for Rodriguez in the past year. But nothing compares to the announcement he made during the third week of free agency.
Lions’ Malcolm Rodriguez Announces Birth of First Child on Social Media
Rodriguez and his wife Kennedy announced the birth of their first child, Mia Jane, on Instagram Tuesday. The post shows Rodriguez welcoming his new child into the world and a quick photo shoot from the nursery.
It’s an event that shows life keeps getting better for the undrafted linebacker out of Oklahoma State. A fan favorite after now defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard shouted him out during an episode of Hard Knocks, Rodriguez started 15 games in his rookie season, making 87 total tackles with eight tackles for loss, two pass deflections, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.
Rodriguez went into a reserve role with the arrival of Jack Campbell, and his stats declined to just 21 total tackles and a forced fumble in 2023. But he became a vaunted member of the special teams unit with an 80.5 grade on 354 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.
As one of 13 defensive players that finished the year on injured reserve, Rodriguez knows how much the Lions need his depth in the lineup. It could lead to a recovery timetable that could finish around the start of next season and help Rodriguez turn in his best year to date in 2025.