Career of former Vikings tight end appears extremely close to the finish

Former Minnesota Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph has yet to appear in a game this season as he’s been a healthy scratch for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in each of the last two weeks.

After he was let go by the New York Giants earlier this year, there were some who thought Kyle Rudolph could end up back with the Minnesota Vikings. But, instead of returning to the Vikings, the veteran tight end decided to team up with Tom Brady and sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

So far this season, things aren’t going that great for Rudolph in his time with the Bucs. The former Vikings tight end hasn’t even been on the field for a snap yet this year as he’s been a healthy scratch in both of Tampa Bay’s first two games.

Rudolph signed a one-year deal with the Bucs in July worth $2 million. The contract included $1.5 million in fully guaranteed money, so it is a little surprising that Tampa Bay hasn’t had him active yet this season.

2022 season with Tampa Bay Buccaneers seems like it will be the last in the NFL for former Minnesota Vikings TE Kyle Rudolph

After 10 years with Minnesota, Rudolph spent the 2021 season with the Giants. New York originally signed him to a two-year contract, but after he was only able to haul in 26 catches for 257 yards and one touchdown last season, they decided to release him this past March.

Rudolph wasn’t signed by anyone during the first few weeks of the 2022 free agency period, so some questions about his future in the NFL certainly started to become more frequent.

Before eventually signing with the Bucs in July, Rudolph returning to the Vikings was reportedly “not out of the question” according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. But, obviously, things weren’t able to work out between the veteran tight end and Minnesota to bring him back to the Twin Cities.

Based on his performance in 2021, and the fact that he’s been inactive in both of Tampa Bay’s games this season, there seems to be a very good chance that we won’t be seeing Rudolph on an NFL roster following the conclusion of the 2022 campaign.

Perhaps things could change if the Bucs’ tight end room suffers an injury or two in the near future. But at this current point in time, Rudolph’s career in the league appears to be very, very close to reaching the finish line.