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NY Giants TE Kyle Rudolph sets aggressive timetable to return

By Matt Lombardo

Nov 29, 2020; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph (82) carries the ball during the third quarter against the Carolina Panthers at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 29, 2020; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph (82) carries the ball during the third quarter against the Carolina Panthers at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports /
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Kyle Rudolph’s arrival to the NY Giants nearly stalled when it was discovered during a physical that revealed lingering effects of his foot injury suffered last season, but the veteran tight end is signed, sealed delivered, and vowed to return quickly.

“I’m not expecting to miss any football,” Rudolph said Wednesday, vowing to return in time for training camp this summer.

Rudolph says that he will undergo the surgery on his foot “as soon as possible,” but it has yet to be decided whether it will take place in the New York area or elsewhere.

The Giants agreed to honor the contract that was originally agreed upon between the two sides as free agency began, but that doesn’t mean the past 24 hours following the physical didn’t add some trepidation for Rudolph.

“It was certainly an interesting 24 hours,” Rudolph admitted. “It was one that was unexpected. But, it’s a blessing that we’re able to find this issue. It was an issue from last season. We can fix it in March, and I won’t miss any football. I’m fortunate to be a New York Giant and it not be something that we discovered later and needed to deal with in-season.”

With Rudolph officially in the fold, the NY Giants add a legitimate red-zone weapon for quarterback Daniel Jones, and a reliable pass-catcher to pair with Evan Engram.

Rudolph didn’t drop a pass last season, and has just two drops since 2017, and he also caught one red zone pass last season and five more in 2019.

Just what makes Rudolph such a dangerous weapon inside the 20-yard line, and how can he help Jones?

"“Just look at the red-zone objectively,” Rudolph said. “The field is condensed, there’s smaller windows and tighter throws. One of the things that’s helped me throughout my career is making contested catches. You won’t scheme guys often in the red-zone very often, it’s usually bang-bang-passes. It takes trust from a quarterback that I can throw it into a tight window and know that Kyle is going to catch it, or no one is going to catch it. When a QB trusts me and throws it to me in a contested area, he trusts me, and I’m going to catch it and we’re going to score a touchdown.”"

Matt Lombardo is the site expert for GMenHQ, and writes Between The Hash Marks each Wednesday for FanSided. Follow Matt on Twitter: @MattLombardoNFL.

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