Tight end tandems are all the rage these days, and the Giants are getting on board.
New York has signed veteran tight end Kyle Rudolph to a two-year deal, ¹ú²úÍâÁ÷ÍøNetwork Insider Ian Rapoport reported. The team later announced the signing.
The contract is worth a maximum value of roughly $14 million, ¹ú²úÍâÁ÷ÍøNetwork's Mike Garafolo reported.
¹ú²úÍâÁ÷ÍøNetwork's Mike Silver reported the Bills, Colts, Chargers, Panthers -- all of whom are looking to address their own need at the position -- were also in the running for the 31-year-old's services.
Rudolph had spent his entire ¹ú²úÍâÁ÷Íøcareer in Minnesota, where the Vikings brought him in as a second-round pick in the 2011 draft. He's been a steady contributor, appearing in 12 or more games in all but two of his 10 ¹ú²úÍâÁ÷Íøseasons, and steadily posting a career yards per reception average of 9.9 yards. Even in seasons in which Rudolph was limited to nine or fewer games, he still managed to post a similar yards-per-catch average, bringing his career totals to 453 catches, 4,488 receiving yards and 48 touchdowns.
Consistency is something the Giants are still aiming to achieve as a team, making Rudolph a good fit. He'll also be an ideal complement to Evan Engram, who has yet to meet or exceed his strong rookie season, but came close enough in 2020 to earn his first Pro Bowl selection (even if there were more qualified candidates elsewhere).
With Engram and Rudolph in the lineup, Daniel Jones will have two trusty targets at tight end, allowing the Giants to use plenty of 12 personnel in their offense, which could also benefit their rushing attack with the return of Saquon Barkley.
Rudolph brings with him experience to mentor Engram, and an ability to make an on-field difference for the next two seasons -- plus, former Patriots assistant Joe Judge now has his own tight end tandem, following in the footsteps of the news-making Patriots, who signed the top two tight ends on the market earlier this week.
