Vikings

Rudolph Nixing A Return To the Vikings Is the Best Thing For Both Sides

Photo Credit: Chuck Cook (USA Today Sports)

Reunions can be beneficial — and fun — for both parties involved. In the case of the Minnesota Vikings, there were whispers of a potential return for veteran tight end Kyle Rudolph. Instead, Rudolph signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It will prove to be a move that is best for both sides.

Rudolph would’ve qualified as a feel-good story had he returned to Minnesota, but his production has dwindled in recent years. He hasn’t eclipsed 40 catches or 400 yards in any of the past three years, and he has back-to-back seasons with only one total touchdown.

Sure, the familiarity of being back with the Vikings could’ve provided some juice. But with the new regime in town, it wouldn’t be Rudolph coming back to an offense he’s familiar with. The harsh reality is that if Rudolph hadn’t been with the Vikings earlier in his career, there wouldn’t have been any talk about him signing with Minnesota.

Rudolph goes off now to play with Tom Brady to try and win a Super Bowl at the end of his extraordinary career. The Vikings could be in contention this year, but who knows? A more realistic outcome is that it will take time to get settled in with the new leadership and strategy.

The overriding reason it makes sense for the Vikings to pass on Rudolph is that they must find out what they have in Irv Smith Jr. this year.

In 2019, the Vikings took Smith in the second round, and he was one of the most hyped-up tight ends in the entire class. Injuries have often been a bugaboo for the fourth-year tight end; he’s coming off a 2021 season in which he didn’t play a single snap. But this year brings about a clean slate for Smith with a new head coach in Kevin O’Connell, who sounds more than chipper about seeing what kind of production they can get from the former Alabama product.

O’Connell was smitten with Smith in May.

For Irv, this whole spring is a great example of a player figuring out where he is coming off his injury, and also understanding that we can really get a lot out of every day knowing that he is preparing himself for when he is 100% ready to go.

I’ve said this before, going back and watching some of his tape even before the injury, I know there was a lot of folks excited about him last fall before that injury happened. Some of the success he’s had — both with how we’re going to use him and ultimately where he is at in his career — he’s ready to absorb all of this and be in a position to go play fast, go play with a bunch of confidence that he’s going to be a major part of what we do.

While saying it’s now or never for Smith in 2022 might be a tad extreme, it will definitely be a prove-it season. Reality paints a portrait of a tight end who has shown brief glimmers his first two years without being handed the reigns of the No. 1 tight end spot.

Bringing back Rudolph wouldn’t have been a disaster. But it would’ve clogged things up when the Vikings really need to find out if Smith can be the tight end of the future or if they need to start planning with other ideas in 2023.

There’s no guarantee this goes swimmingly for the Vikings. It could blow up in their face if Smith suffers another injury or more setbacks. If that’s the case, it’s worth noting that Rudolph wouldn’t have been some savior at tight end for the Vikings. It’s more valuable for them to roll out the red carpet for Smith and let him showcase everything in his arsenal — or show them that he may not be capable of holding down the top spot on the depth chart.

The potential is there, and the athleticism is evident. But 2022 needs to be the season where Smith puts it all together. Signing Rudolph would’ve been fun, and the fanbase would’ve widely approved the move. However, it makes more sense for both sides to go the route they did.

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