On Tuesday, the Vikings released their longest-tenured player: tight end Kyle Rudolph.
Rudolph will be missed for his highlights on the field and his overall impact in the community. He was a part of many different, fun Vikings teams. His game-winning touchdown reception against the Saints in the 2019 postseason will live on.
That said, this move did not seem all that surprising, given Minnesota’s salary cap situation and what Rudolph said publicly earlier in the offseason.
It will certainly be strange to see the Vikings’ tight end unit without Rudolph leading it. Here are some directions the team can go now with its tight end unit for the 2021 NFL season: