Forget the trade speculation. Kyle Rudolph will remain with the Vikings.
Rudolph made waves late Monday night with a not-so-cryptic tweet saying he’s “honored beyond words to say that my home, our home, will aways be…in Minnesota!” It was a clear indicator that he’s reached a new deal with the team that drafted him a decade ago, and a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter says Rudolph will sign a four-year, $36 million extension on Tuesday.
#UnfinishedBusiness #Skol pic.twitter.com/ooOXJruWFF
— Kyle Rudolph (@KyleRudolph) June 11, 2019
The Vikings have confirmed the contract extension but haven’t disclosed official terms.
The reported deal puts an end to speculation that the 29-year-old former second-round draft pick out of Notre Dame could be traded or released to help relieve the Vikings’ bloated salary cap.
But it was always possible that restructuring Rudolph’s deal could work, and that’s what’s happening, according to Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press.
A source confirmed that the Kyle Rudolph extension will lower his #Vikings salary-cap number "for sure" from $7.625 million but the exact number has not yet been revealed.
— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) June 11, 2019
With Rudolph signed through 2023, the Vikings won’t have to put as much pressure on rookie tight end Irv Smith Jr. to perform right away.
Smith, a second-round pick out of Alabama, could still see significant playing time, with Rudolph previously saying he thinks the tight end duo will cause mismatches on a weekly basis.
Yessir! Let’s Get It💜 https://t.co/1Z7SLH7aWV
— Irvin Smith Jr. (@swervinirvin_) June 11, 2019
