After a 12-year career, former Minnesota Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph officially announced his retirement. The news was reported by NBC Sports’ Peter King, who spoke to Rudolph for his Football Morning in America column.
Buy Vikings Tickets“I played for so long and earned a veteran status,” Rudolph told King. “Now I’m a rookie getting as many reps as I can in the media world. This off-season is about, ‘Where do I fit in?’ The NBC job doing games on Peacock is cool. And talking about the storylines of the day in the NFL on Sunday nights will be cool, too.”
The Vikings selected Rudolph with the 43rd pick in the 2011 NFL draft and played with the Vikings for 10 seasons. Rudolph made two Pro Bowls and was a stalwart tight end. He caught 482 passes for 4,773 yards and 50 touchdowns.
He will forever be known for his touchdown catch to beat the New Orleans Saints 26-20 in the 2019 NFC Wild Card game.
Who said Kirk can't deliver under the bright lights? ⭐️
Cousins hits Kyle Rudolph for the game winning TD to shock the New Orleans Saints. pic.twitter.com/0NPKlVJZWz
— Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) January 5, 2020
Rudolph won’t be leaving the game completely, as he will be a commentator for Peacock covering the Big Ten.