Will Kyle Rudolph still be with the Minnesota Vikings in 2021?
Against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last Sunday, the Minnesota Vikings took the field without tight end Kyle Rudolph for the first time since Week 16 of the 2014 season.
In the middle of his 10th year with the Vikings, Rudolph is currently dealing with a foot injury that could potentially also keep him out of the team’s upcoming game against the Chicago Bears.
With the tight end not getting any younger and there being just three matchups left on Minnesota’s 2020 schedule, have we already seen Rudolph’s last appearance in a purple and gold uniform?
Could the Minnesota Vikings trade Kyle Rudolph next year?
In terms of production, this season has been one of Rudolph’s worst since he entered the NFL back in 2011. In 12 games, the Vikings tight end has only caught 28 passes for 334 yards and one touchdown.
Rudolph has never finished a season with less than two touchdown catches. But if his foot injury continues to keep him out of action, he could end up with just one trip to the end zone this year
So with his decrease in production this season, his age (31), and the $9.45 million cap hit he’s currently scheduled to have in 2021, could Minnesota look to move on from Rudolph during the upcoming offseason.
If the Vikings are looking to part ways with their veteran tight end, they will likely look to see if any team around the league would like to acquire him in a trade. Rudolph has been included in numerous trade rumors during the last few years, so his name being mentioned in even more wouldn’t be surprising at all.
One team that could be interested in trading for the Minnesota tight end is the Washington Football Team. Bleacher Report’s Chris Roling believes acquiring a veteran like Rudolph could benefit Washington in 2021 if they choose to start a young quarterback under center.
Roling believes the Vikings could potentially acquire a third-round draft pick in exchange for their veteran tight end. If this is what Washington would offer, then Minnesota should definitely agree to the deal.
The third round is where guys like Cameron Dantzler, Terry McLaurin, Mark Andrews, Alvin Kamara, Cooper Kupp, and Kenny Golladay have been drafted in recent years. So if a third-round selection is part of a trade offer for Rudolph, accepting the deal would be an easy decision for the Vikings to make.