Former Vikings TE Kyle Rudolph retiring after 12 NFL seasons, starting media career

After 12 years in the NFL, Kyle Rudolph is calling it a career.

The tight end told NBC's Peter King about his decision to retire, saying that he entered the offseason thinking he'd play for a 13th year. His family was willing to move to wherever he could find a team that wanted him. But with four young kids (twins in first grade and two other children under 5 years old), he was ready to live life outside a football stadium.

Rudolph, 33, spent the vast majority of his career with the Minnesota Vikings, who drafted him in the second round in 2011. He'd remain there for 10 years, making two Pro Bowls until the Vikings released him following the 2020 season. He spent one year with the New York Giants in 2021 and in 2022 caught on with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Over his career, he made 482 catches for 4,773 yards with 50 touchdowns.

Now that he's retired, Rudolph is embarking on his media career. He's a Big Ten analyst for Peacock, NBC's streaming service, on Saturdays. And while it has yet to be formally announced, King reported that Rudolph will co-host a weekly Fox Sports radio show on Sunday nights. Rudolph is looking at these new endeavors in exactly the same way he looked at his football career.

Rudolph told NFL reporter Jordan Schultz that he plans to retire with the Vikings, and will be honored in Week 3 when the Vikings play the Los Angeles Chargers.