Veteran tight end Kyle Rudolph is going rom catching passes from Daniel Jones to being on the receiving end of Tom Brady bombs. Holy upgrade alert.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Rudolph is signing a one-year contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Rudolph, 32, had been linked to Tampa Bay since fellow tight end Rob Gronkowski announced his retirement earlier in the summer.
A former second-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings back in 2011, Rudolph now joins a Buccaneers tight end room that includes Cameron Brate as well as rookies Cade Otton and Ko Kieft. Having lost both Gronkowski and O.J. Howard this offseason, tight end was an obvious need for the Buccaneers heading into training camp.
Related: Sportsnaut’s NFL power rankings heading into training camps
What Kyle Rudolph brings to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
A Pro Bowler with the Vikings back in 2012 and 2017, Rudolph has seen a decline in production in recent seasons. He tallied 26 catches or 257 yards for a bad Giants team a season ago. In his final two seasons with Minnesota, Rudolph caught a combined 67 passes.
- Kyle Rudolph stats (2011-21): 479 catches, 4,745 yards, 49 TD
With that said, Rudolph is still a consistent receiving option. Despite his lack of numbers, the veteran has caught 75% of his targets over the past three seasons. He’s also seen as one of the best blocking tight ends in the game.