Kyle Rudolph has been a main topic of discussion among many Vikings fans this offseason. After all, the former Pro Bowl MVP is, once again, returning from an injury-riddled season and looking to stay healthy for a whole season for the first time since 2012.
There’s no doubt that Teddy Bridgewater is looking forward to having Rudolph available at his disposal this season. Bridgewater told ESPN’s Ben Goessling in this article that having a healthy Kyle Rudolph is probably an even bigger addition to the team than Mike Wallace. When healthy, Rudolph is one of the most talented pass-catching tight ends in the NFL.
When healthy.
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Unfortunately, it’s something that happens all too often in the NFL. On many occasions, talented players are pegged as “injury prone” because their seasons usually consist of 8-10 games instead of 16. When this happens, teams stop trusting these players and it becomes very hard for them to sustain a starting job.
In his article that I mentioned previously, Goessling writes that Rudolph has approached the offseason differently this season. He has entered into a training program that will focus in his durability and flexibility. Hopefully, this program will show results.
If Rudolph suffers ANOTHER injury in 2015 that forces him to miss significant action, it will be the third season in a row that he’s suffered that kind of injury. Rudolph only played eight games in 2013 and nine games in 2014. Another shortened season would likely mean Rudolph is permanently labeled as “injury-prone”. It would be very tough for the executives, coaches, and fans (myself included) to trust Rudolph as a long-term weapon for Bridgewater in Minnesota.
Moreover, many would argue that Chase Ford filled in nicely for Rudolph last season in those seven games he was unable to play. While Ford definitely doesn’t have the receiving skills that Rudolph has, he proved to be a capable weapon for Bridgewater when he needed to be, recording five or more targets in three games last season.
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Additionally, the Vikings have been pleasantly surprised by MyCole Pruitt, their new 5th-round draft pick. Pruitt is a former basketball player turned pass-catching tight end that Norv Turner admires as he did with Antonio Gates and Jordan Cameron. From all accounts, Pruitt is wowing the Vikings coaching staff so far and it appears as if he has serious potential.
So, the question has to be asked here. If Rudolph suffers another injury this season that forces him to miss significant time, does trading him become an option worth considering?
Yes, this is still a hypothetical situation. I won’t even get into answering that yet because we still have over two months until the season starts. However, it seems like the pressure is building for Rudolph to not only stay healthy this season, but to also perform like the Pro Bowl talent that he is.
If Rudolph doesn’t perform this season, whether due to injury or due to lack of performance (the latter seems less likely), it’s not crazy to start thinking that Kyle Rudolph’s future in Minnesota could be in question.
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