Kyle Rudolph Has Strong Message on Future With Vikings

Getty Former Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph

Minnesota Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph is the longest-tenured player on the team’s roster.

The 10-year veteran ranks fifth in Vikings franchise history in touchdowns catches (48), including the most by any tight end — nearly doubling the next closest player at the position (Steve Jordan, 28). Yet, he may be the easiest cut for a Minnesota front office that must clear at least $12 million in cap space this offseason.

Rudolph, 31, has the second-highest base salary at his position entering the 2021 season and carries a $9.45 million cap hit despite ranking 36th among tight ends in receptions last season. With 22-year-old counterpart Irv Smith Jr. having already outproduced Rudolph in 2020 with two years remaining on his rookie contract, Rudolph’s future in the Twin Cities remains in question.

Nonetheless, the former second-round pick recently asserted on the Unrestricted with Ben Leber podcast that he’s still in the prime of his career and sees himself as a viable receiving threat who has taken on a blocking role to help the team.

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Rudolph: ‘I’m Worth Every Dime of My Contract’

Rudolph was realistic throughout his conversation with Leber about seeing both sides of the business. Acknowledging his limited use as a receiver over the past two seasons, Rudolph leveled from the front office’s perspective.

“If I were the Wilfs, if I were [general manager] Rick [Spielman], I’m looking at this situation like, ‘Hey we’re paying this guy a lot of money and you’re not using him. So why are we continuing to pay him a lot of money,'” Rudolph said on Monday.

With the Vikings already in a hole and the salary cap expected to drop from $198.2 million down to the $180 million range this year, Rudolph explained his descent from vital receiving weapon to primary blocker in Minnesota’s offense — not only on running plays but also in pass protection.

Here was his take on the situation:

I think I’m worth every dime of my contract. That doesn’t mean that I’m used to my potential and I’m used to do what I do well. So, it will be interesting over the next few months. Like I said, I have three years left in my contract. I don’t want to go anywhere else. I’ve somehow become a pretty decent blocker because I’ve been forced to. It certainly wasn’t something that I ever did well at any point in my career — maybe in high school because I was just bigger than everyone else — but even then, I just wanted to run around and catch balls.

Early on last season, the writing was on the wall. I saw where our offense was going. I had like seven or eight catches in the first six games. It was just absurd. I was literally blocking all the time. Obviously, as a tight end, you’re going to block in the run game. That’s something I’ve always had to work at. It’s not something that comes easy to me, but for me, it’s always been important to be a complete tight end and not somebody they have to put out wide or put on the backside of the formation or run an RPO-type slant-drag. … I’ve always prided myself on not being one of those guys.

Like I said, you go back to the beginning of last season and I’m like, ‘Okay I’ve got one or two [options] here. I can either get really good at the only thing I’m asked to do or I can complain about it and I can cause a scene, throw a fit. But what’s going to be more productive for our team and this organization.’

Rudolph Declines Pay Cut if Given Similar Role in 2021

During their conversation, Leber offered a hypothetical scenario to Rudolph, asking whether he would accept a proposal to restructure the final three years of his contract in which he would maintain his current standing on the team. The 31-year-old struck the possibility down, adamant about not relegating himself to a diminished role if it meant taking a pay cut and potentially ending his career prospects elsewhere.

“I can’t sign up for that again,” Rudolph said. “Am I gonna all of a sudden derail my career with a lot of football left because, you know how it goes, you get into your early 30s [and] everyone just assumes you’re done. You’re old. You’re over 30. You can’t do it anymore. Well if I just block every play, the other 31 teams are going to assume that as well.”

Rudolph acknowledged the critique that he’s not as fast as he once was due to his age, sarcastically arguing that he has never been fast and is actually a better runner now that he’s in the best shape of his career.

“[Mike Zimmer] is on record — I’d go back to the last two training camps — and talking about how well Rudy is running around and how good he looks,” Rudolph told Leber. “He doesn’t say that just to say it. He never gives compliments. … For him to say that it’s like, all right, maybe I still can run. … It’s simply a lack of opportunities.”

Vikings Chasing First Super Bowl Appearance Since 1976

Rudolph, who continually acknowledged the front office’s perspective on the situation, believes that his role as a receiver can still bring value to a Vikings franchise in pursuit of its first-ever Super Bowl title — and first appearance since the 1976 season.

“I’m here for that parade, that’s the only reason I want to do this,” Rudolph continued. “I’ve had multiple opportunities to get to free agency and it’s never been appealing to me because I don’t want to be anywhere else but here. To go somewhere else to contend for a championship on a team that’s already won championships, it’s not appealing to me. I want to be on the first team that wins one here because I know what that would mean to this state, to our organization, to every guy that’s played before us.”

Already a pillar in the Minnesota community, there’s only one place Rudolph wants to be for the remainder of his playing days.

“It’s unlikely there won’t be a stop somewhere else. I certainly hope not. I’d love to be here for the next five to seven years and play like Jason Witten without the retirement and coming back to the Raiders. … Minnesota is home for us.”

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Trevor Squire is a Heavy contributor covering the Minnesota Vikings and journalism graduate from the University of Minnesota — Twin Cities. Connect with him on Twitter @trevordsquire and join our Vikings community at Heavy on Vikings on Facebook.