The Kyle Rudolph Conundrum - 4 yr, $36 Million Extension!

So why pay Rudolph, who may be more accurately described as a solid, rather than elite, tight-end, like his was elite?

The answer lies in the details.

Why Rudy Fits


There are a number of reasons why extending Kyle Rudolph, along the terms that were agreed, makes sense for the Vikings - and Rudolph too.

Scheme Fit

The first reason has everything to do with Gary Kubiak and his scheme, which the Vikings are committed to for the foreseeable future. One aspect of Kubiak’s scheme is a greater use of double tight-end formations. That allows the Vikings to use both Rudolph and presumably Irv Smith Jr. more often on the field together. Both Rudolph and Smith may be lined-up in-line, in the backfield, in the slot, or even outside. The combination gives the Vikings more blocking man-power, whether run or pass, as the extra tight-end can either run block, stay-in to pass block, or chip block on his way out on a route.


Of course the Vikings have other options that they could pair with Smith, but could they do so as well- or better - than Rudolph?

As Pro Football Focus pointed out in a recent piece on Rudolph, he has had middling overall numbers for the most part throughout his career. But where he has excelled is in money situations - late down and red zone receptions. Last season was Rudolph’s best on late downs - producing a passer rating of 124.8 when targeted last year. He ranked third behind only Evan Engram and Travis Kelce among tight-ends in that category.

His 84.2% catch-rate last season, with only 1 drop, was also a career-high. Rudolph also had the lowest drop-rate in the league last year among TEs with at least 50 targets. His 111.9 passer rating when targeted in the red zone the past three seasons adds to his value.

Rudolph also was in the top 5 among TEs when lined-up in the slot last season, including yards per route run, catch rate, TDs, drops, and receiving yards among TEs with at least 175 snaps in the slot, according to PFF.

It may be that a guy like Tyler Conklin can eventually develop into a tight-end who can replace Rudolph, but at this point throwing him out there with a rookie TE in Irv Smith Jr. is a rather risky option - both TEs having little to no NFL game experience at this point. For a team needing to improve offensively, and adopting Kubiak’s scheme, it would seem a bit of a disconnect to get rid of Rudolph in favor of an unproven successor - and pairing him with a rookie. Tight-end can often be a position, like many others, that takes a couple years to get the hang of in the NFL.

Doubling Down

Being able to run more double-TE sets also figures well for getting the most out of QB Kirk Cousins. Since 2015, Cousins has been the best QB in the league in terms of passer rating (112.8), adjusted completion percentage (83.3%), and yards per attempt (9.39) in double TE formations (12 and 22 personnel groups), according to PFF.

So, keeping a solid veteran TE, along with a top rookie prospect, to (hopefully) field a solid and versatile TE pairing, makes even more sense when trying to maximize the effectiveness of the overall offense.

Coming off a 2018 season that saw him finish with over 60 catches for just the second time in his career, Rudolph is hoping to be even more productive for the Vikings in 2019. Especially with Minnesota switching to an offensive scheme that is expected to feature more opportunities for tight ends.

So where does Rudolph currently rank among the rest of players in his position group around the NFL? Well, according to CBS Sports, he is still regarded as one of the 10 best tight ends in the league.

Rudolph has never been a guy who’s capable of gaining 100 receiving yards any time he steps out on the field. But his recent production has still been among the most consistent of all the tight ends in the NFL.

During the last three seasons, Rudolph has accumulated the third-most catches, the sixth-most receiving yards, and the third-most touchdowns of any tight end in the league. So his numbers definitely line up with the best in his position group.