XFL's Eli Rogers Explains Decision to Skip Mother's Funeral for Defenders Game

Eli Rogers, wide receiver for the XFL's D.C. Defenders, made the difficult decision to skip his mother's funeral and play in D.C.'s home game against the New York Guardians on Saturday.

Rogers explained the choice in a series of tweets prior to the game:

He expanded upon his decision in a postgame interview with ESPN, saying, "I was really just thinking about her and what she would want for me."

Last week, Rogers finished with six receptions for 73 yards in D.C.'s 31-19 win over the Seattle Dragons just days after his mother's death. On Saturday, Rogers was a big part of D.C.'s 27-0 win over New York with five catches for 49 yards.

According to Gus Martin of USA Today, Rogers' mother, Tranae Jackson, died on Feb. 5 at the age of 50.

Rogers played college football at Louisville and spent four seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2015-18. After spending his entire rookie year on injured reserve, his most productive campaign came in his debut season, when he caught 48 passes for 594 yards and three touchdowns.

A strong season in the XFL could possibly help the 27-year-old Rogers land a job in the NFL next season, and he is off to a fine start with 11 receptions for 122 yards through two games as one of quarterback Cardale Jones' go-to options.

Rogers will look to continue his stellar play next week when the 2-0 Defenders travel to Los Angeles to take on the Wildcats.