Lots of game left in Kyle Rudolph

It’s always a sweet feeling when you get to tell someone, “I told you so”. It feels even better when that person is your boss.

Sooooo…. middle fingers up, Eric, you’re wrong. I’m right. Give me my raise.

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Kyle Rudolph (like I predicted) is staying home. Kyle posted a heartfelt message on twitter last night, claiming Minnesota as his home. It was reported shortly after that he would be receiving a 4yr/36 million dollar extension. How that contract is spread out over the 4 years, remains to be seen. My guess is it’s loaded on the back end and on a signing bonus. One thing we do know is, Rob Brzezinski is a god damn wizard and deserves his gold jacket already. Another player lost to the killer contract of Kirk Cousins…. oh wait. 

At the end of the day, the Vikings weren’t going to get rid of Kyle and leave themselves with a rookie tight end to handle the pass catching duties at the position. No matter how much your brother/friend/mother/father/boss tells you about how the Vikings should have traded Rudolph, they’re wrong. They are entitled to their opinion, but they’re wrong. The Vikings are in the “keep a super bowl talent roster intact” business. Not the “cut him so we don’t have to pay him what he deserves” business. (cough, cough… cheeseheads). It is extremely difficult to win a Championship in any sport, so when you have a window where your team is good enough, you don’t let guys like Kyle Rudolph go. The front office obviously knows this.

What to expect from Rudy?

Don’t hold your breath on a 80 reception and 1,000 yard season. Those stats for a tight end are reserved for guys like Travis Kelce and Zach Ertz, where they are the top playmakers on their teams. The Vikings have too many skill players for the ball to get around to everyone, with the the likes of Thielen, Diggs, Cook, Smith Jr, Rudy, Mattison, and who ever wins out the battle for the 3rd and 4th spot WR slots (hint: Beebe & Taylor). What I would expect out of Kyle, would be a man on a mission who will contribute in big situations with his even bigger hands. A red zone threat who will maybe even tickle the double digit touchdown mark, a true impact player. Not to mention, a captain who leads by example.

With the contract talks done and over with, Kyle will be dialed in, allowing him to give 100% of his attention to playing the game he loves. Rudy claims to be in the prime of his career with “lots of game left”. Don’t believe him? Ask him yourself.

Walking into Year 9 with something to prove.. I’ve got “Lots of game left!” There's a reason why the windshield is bigger than the rear view mirror. #BackToSkol pic.twitter.com/HVZg7PTEmV

— Kyle Rudolph (@KyleRudolph82) April 15, 2019

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Clem Clemans | Minnesota Sports Fan