Rudolph still not at 100%

Vikings TE Kyle Rudolph has played the past 5 games after missing the previous 6 to recover from sports hernia surgery.  But both he and the coaching staff admit that he's not at 100% -- and won't be until next season.  Rudolph "doesn't have the same quickness and burst [as] when he broke camp," OC Norv Turner said.  Rudolph believes he's "getting there," though.  "But at this time, when you're in season, there's not enough (time) that you can do to get back to the level that I was playing at in August," he added.
"For me, it will be a normal offseason. I feel like with the progress that I've been able to make over these last couple weeks, I just need that time."  Rudolph's career so far has been plagued by injuries.  But he's still only 25 with an intriguing combination of size and athleticism.  Rudolph will be a fine bounce-back candidate in 2015 -- and a potential value pick in fantasy football drafts.

The Buccaneers have agreed to a 1-year deal with TE Kyle Rudolph, according to multiple reports. The veteran managed just 26 catches for 257 yards and 1 TD across 16 games in his lone season with the Giants after Minnesota released him following the 2020 season. It marked the 3rd straight year in which Rudolph's receptions per game declined. Obviously not a threat for big numbers in a season that will find him turning 33 in November, Rudolph still clouds the TE target picture for an offense that (at least for now) must go without Rob Gronkowski. We weren't excited about Cameron Brate or Cade Otton in any format before this signing, which certainly doesn't help either player.

The Giants are releasing TE Kyle Rudolph, according to multiple sources, a move that will clear $5.2 million in camp space for a team projected over the expected 2022 salary cap. This was a predictable decision given the team's cap situation and the fact that the 32-year-old TE is coming off a 26-catch 1st year with the Giants. With fellow TE Evan Engram on the brink of unrestricted free agency, New York's Week 1 TE starter probably isn't currently under contract with the team.

Giants TE Kyle Rudolph (foot) has been activated from the PUP list and will return to practice, the team announced. Rudolph had foot surgery shortly after signing with the G-Men in March and had been sidelined since. The 31-year-old caught just 28 balls in 12 games for the Vikings last year. But the Giants surprisingly gave him a 2-year, $12 million deal. We'll see exactly how Rudolph factors into the team's plans.

Giants TE Kyle Rudolph is opening training camp on the active/PUP list. That's not surprising, given that the veteran TE had foot surgery shortly after signing with the team. He can be activated at any point during camp. If Rudolph remains on the list until the final roster cutdown, he'd be eligible for the regular-season PUP. That would require him to miss 6 games. We'll keep an eye on Rudolph's status, mostly for the sake of Evan Engram's snap/target competition.

Giants team doctors are concerned with 1 of TE Kyle Rudolph's feet and believe he needs surgery, according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo. Rudolph missed the final 4 games of last season with a foot injury, but we never got any details on it. He agreed to -- but didn't sign -- a 2-year, $14 million deal with New York last week, but that's now hanging in the balance. We'll see where this goes, but Rudolph is no better than a late-round flier in fantasy drafts right now.

Update: Rudolph has officially signed his contract with the Giants. It's unclear if he'll need surgery on that foot.