There was plenty of talk about Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph this offseason, with even external discussion about the Vikings trading him.
Instead, they gave the 29-year-old player a four-year, $36 million deal.
So far, that hasn’t looked like the best move. Rudolph has just six catches for 36 yards in five games in 2019. For comparison purposes, the team’s second-round pick Irv Smith Jr. has five catches for 64 yards.
It will be interesting to see how the Vikings address Rudolph’s contract moving forward. Rudolph is due $7.375 million in 2020 and it would cost $5.8 million to release him in dead cap. Certainly not ideal.
In 2021, the dead cap number drops to $4.35 million. In 2022, it’s at $2.9 million, and in 2023, it drops all the way to $1.45 million.
It’s early and Rudolph could hit a hot stretch. But it’s also easy to see Smith Jr. emerging as the team’s top tight end, which would leave the Vikings with a tough financial decision to make next offseason.
