MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Vikings have released veteran tight end Kyle Rudolph after 10 seasons, the team announced on Tuesday.
The move saves Minnesota $5.1 million against the salary cap for 2021. Rudolph, 31, will become a free agent for the first time in his NFL career.
The former second-round pick of the Vikings in 2011 issued a heartfelt goodbye in an article published by "The Players' Tribune" reflecting on his 10 seasons in Minnesota.
"I got so lucky, because -- I didn't just get drafted by some team who 'had a need at tight end,' Rudolph wrote.