For the first time in his decade-long NFL career former Notre Dame star tight end Kyle Rudolph is headed towards free agency.
That’s because the Minnesota Vikings, who selected Rudolph in the second round of the 2011 NFL draft released the veteran on Tuesday in a move that saves the team $5.1 million in cap space this coming season.
Rudolph was coming off a year where injuries let him play in just six games at Notre Dame in 2010, but the Vikings pulled the trigger on selecting him and boy did it ever pay off.
Rudolph would end up catching 453 passes as a Viking, going for 4488 yards and 48 touchdowns.
Related: Kyle Rudolph through the years (photos)
He was a key part of the Vikings team that reached the NFC Championship Game in January of 2018 and also pulled in a Pro Bowl MVP award along the way.
As great as his on-the-field accomplishments are, Rudolph has been significantly more impressive off it in the Minneapolis area with charity work that landed him a nomination for the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year three different times.
All the best in whatever might be next for one of the best to do it at Notre Dame in recent years – both on the field and off.