Two-time Pro Bowl tight end announces retirement from NFL

One veteran tight end has no plans of being the next Marcedes Lewis.

Former Minnesota Vikings Pro Bowler Kyle Rudolph made the announcement over the weekend that he is retiring from the NFL after 12 career seasons. Rudolph told Peter King of NBC Sports that he entered the offseason thinking he could play a 13th season but ultimately decided to move on given his four young kids.

Rudolph, 33, was a second-round pick by the Vikings in 2011 and played for them until 2020. He made two Pro Bowls in Minnesota (in 2012 and 2017) and was a starter on two of the Vikings’ NFC North-winning teams. Rudolph then played out the last two seasons of his career with the New York Giants (in 2021) and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (in 2022). He wraps up his NFL career with 482 catches for 4,773 yards and 50 touchdowns.

King added that a new radio gig for Rudolph on Fox Sports is set to be announced later this month. Additionally, Rudolph recently secured an interesting job on television.