Kyle Rudolph expected to retire

Kyle Rudolph expected to retire

Kyle Rudolph currently remains an unsigned free agent and is expected to retire, according to The Athletic‘s Pete Sampson. However, he still plans to stick around the game of football … just in a drastically different capacity.

Rudolph recently announced that he will begin calling Big Ten football games as a broadcaster with NBC. Rudolph, a Notre Dame alum, noted that the opportunity was made possible by the strong relationship Notre Dame has with NBC.

“One hundred percent. It was without question the reason why, Rudolph said about his decision to try his hand at broadcasting via The Athletic’s Pete Sampson. I’m an anomaly, played 12 years in the NFL before starting my next chapter but Notre Dame was still there opening doors and giving me opportunities.

The Minnesota Vikings drafted Rudolph with the No. 43 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft and he played with Minnesota for a decade. As a rookie, Rudolph solidified himself as a consistent and dependable starter. In the following years, he earned Pro Bowl honors in 2012 and 2017 with Minnesota.

Following a lackluster 2020 campaign, the Vikings would part ways with their then-longest tenured player. The Giants signed Rudolph on a two-year deal but released him after a disappointing 2021 season.

Last offseason Tom Brady recruited Rudolph to Tampa Bay. Unfortunately, Rudolph appeared in just nine games, recording three catches for 28 yards and one touchdown.

During his career, Rudolph was one of the most prolific tight ends in all of the NFL. Rudolph had the 11th most receiving yards among tight ends from 2011-2022. In the same period, Rudolph had the fourth-most touchdowns and eighth-most receptions among tight ends.

He’s also one of the most successful pass catchers in Minnesota Vikings franchise history. Rudolph ranks 11th in career receiving yards for Minnesota and 2nd amongst tight ends. Rather than pursue a fourteenth season on the gridiron, Rudolph looks to cover games instead of playing in them.

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