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Ex-Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph officially announces his retirement

Dane Mizutani, Pioneer Press
·2 min read

Kyle Rudolph is hanging up the cleats for good.

After being selected by the Vikings in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft, Rudolph became a household name across a decade in Minnesota. He used his 6-foot-6, 265-pound frame to his advantage in 140 games with the Vikings, tallying 453 receptions for 4,488 yards and 48 touchdowns.

Aside from his production on the field, Rudolph was also very active in the Twin Cities community, doing a lot of philanthropic work with the University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital. He was nominated for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award multiple times during his time in Minnesota.

Though he undoubtedly will be remembered for his time with the Vikings, Rudolph also played 16 games for New York Giants late in his career, and added a brief stint with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last season.

According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, Rudolph will be retiring as a member of the Vikings, with the team planning to honor him at U.S. Bank Stadium during its Week 3 game against the Los Angeles Chargers.

The next step for Rudolph? He’s transitioning to the world of media, serving as a Big Ten analyst for Peacock this fall, while also co hosting a Sunday night show on Fox Sports radio.

Smith on personal leave

With the Vikings preparing for their Sept. 10 season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, outside linebackers coach Mike Smith is currently on a personal leave. Though he will not be at the game on Sunday afternoon, Smith is still a part of the organization.

In the meantime, assistant head coach Mike Pettine will take over as outside linebackers coach, with Imarjaye Albury also helping with the position group.

Harry back with Vikings

After being cut by the Vikings late in training camp, receiver N’Keal Harry has signed as a member of the practice squad. He will fill a valuable role this week, in particular, as the Vikings prepare to face Buccaneers receiver Mike Evans. In a corresponding move, the Vikings released center Alan Ali.

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