With the Vikings drafting tight end Irv Smith Jr. in the second round on Friday night, fans are likely wondering what’s next for the team’s current starting tight end, Kyle Rudolph.
It’s unlikely Smith immediately replaces Rudolph as a starter right away. Rudolph is still effective. He had more than 600 receiving yards last season.
With that being said, Rudolph is 29 years old and 2019 marks the last year of his contract.
These seems like a pretty natural transition for the Vikings, assuming Smith plays up to his potential.
It doesn’t mean Rudolph’s Vikings career is over by any means. The Vikings will likely look to restructure Rudolph’s deal, or will look to give him a new contract at the end of the season, albeit for far less than the $7.6 million he’s due in 2019.
Having two good tight ends isn’t like have two good quarterbacks. You can play these guys at the same time, which is something we’ll see plenty of next season.
Rudolph has been a huge part of this Vikings team on and off the field since being drafted in 2011. This isn’t a slight to him, but instead a move to look ahead to the present and future for this team.
