Is former NFL second-round pick Kyle Rudolph still playing football?

Kyle Rudolph was a tank. However, the NFL is the premier Gridiron league in the world and houses the best teams, players, coaches, and more. Unfortunately, it is not a rarity to see a premier player out of the league for a myriad of reasons.

Rudolph is a player that was very close to being out of the NFL. He is a two-time Pro Bowler and a popular figure for the perennial underachieving franchise, the Minnesota Vikings. He has been around the block and earned his spot in the league over the past decade. But what happens when you play a position that isn't so friendly with Father Time?

Is Kyle Rudolph still playing football?

Yes, Kyle Rudolph is still playing football. On July 20, 2022, the two-time Pro Bowl tight end signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was signed by the contenders after a mini receivers crisis, with his experience being cited as a factor in his signing.

He had just come off a year playing for the New York Giants after starting his career with a fruitful ten-year spell at the Vikings. He serves as the fourth tight end in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end room, making the TE room of the team one of the deepest in the entire NFL.

Why did the New York Giants let go of Kyle Rudolph?

Simply put, the New York Giants cut the experienced TE from their playing roster because he was not a good a fit in their style of play. The Giants signed him with the expectation that he would recapture some of the Minnesota form that made him such a threat.

However, his 2021 performances with the Giants were average at best. The team felt that they could get at least as much productivity from the young guys they had in-house. Hence, he was released on March 2, 2022.

Kyle Rudolph's fantasy performance

Kyle Rudolph is not a solid fantasy football option by any stretch of the imagination. Instead, he is behind at least three tight ends on the Buccaneers' depth chart. There is also a high possibility of him being cut in the not-so-distant future.

Furthermore, he has played only one game in the 2022 season, and his performance certainly did not set off fireworks. Therefore, you would be better off using your backup tight-end pick on another player that will yield the desired results.