DETROIT, MI – DECEMBER 23: Minnesota Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph (82) talks to a mobile device as walks off of the field at the conclusion of a regular season game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Detroit Lions on December 23, 2018 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
On the eve of training camp, the Minnesota Vikings and Kyle Rudolph seems to have agreed to an extension. This was a major change of pace after weeks of trade rumors.
Kyle Rudolph is likely finishing his career where it all started. The Minnesota Vikings tight end seemed to allude on Twitter that he has re-signed to stay with the only NFL team he knows.
Rudolph had a down season last year, after many thought he was primed for a breakout with Kirk Cousins at quarterback. He was a touchdown machine in 2017, hitting paydirt eight times. Last season, that number was cut in half.
He hit his peak in 2016, when he caught 83 balls for 840 yards and seven touchdowns. Since then, he’s played different roles but never hit those types of numbers.
This signing was surprising because Rudolph was maybe the most popular trade candidate among analysts since Odell Beckham Jr. was traded to Cleveland in March. Rudolph was tied to multiple teams, including as a replacement for Rob Gronkowski in New England. It turns out the Vikings believe he’s a major part of their future.
We won’t know the exact details of the contract extension until the morning, however ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that it’s a four-year, $36 million deal. He added that it’s expected to be finalized on Tuesday morning.
Maybe another season gaining chemistry with Cousins is just what he needs. He’s played with four different starting quarterbacks over the past three seasons. They were remarkably different in Teddy Bridgewater, Sam Bradford, Cousins and Case Keenum. He continues to go into training camp having to start from scratch. Now, he can build off what happened last season.
Based on Rudolph’s note, this was what he wanted all along. He went to high school in Ohio, college at Notre Dame and his NFL career in Minnesota. He’s been in basically the same region, and now he doesn’t have to move.