Entering his final season under contract with the Minnesota Vikings, tight end Kyle Rudolph remains the most polarizing player of the offseason as his future with the team remains a big question.
Earlier this week Rudolph met with the media at head coach Mike Zimmer’s charity golf event and said he doesn’t want to be traded and would prefer to remain in Minnesota for the long term. He also confirmed a report that said contract extension talks with the Vikings had broken down.
Now, according to the Star Tribune’s Sid Hartman, Rudolph says there’s “no way” he’ll take less money because he’s “too young for that.”
Rudolph, 29, is due to make up to $7.6 million this season, and if he doesn’t reach an extension with the Vikings he risks entering his age 30 season in 2020 without any contractual guarantees.
The Athletic reports that Rudolph wants clarity on his future, be it being extended, cut or traded, sooner than later. The trade market, The Athletic notes, has dampened since the draft, but there are six teams with whom a trade involving Rudolph could make sense: Patriots, Jaguars, Bills, Seahawks, Steelers and Raiders.
According to Spotrac, the Vikings have an estimated $2.5 million in salary cap space after linebacker Eric Kendricks agreed to restructure his deal, which allowed Minnesota to sign first-round draft pick, center, Garrett Bradbury.
