Who Should I Start? Kyle Rudolph or JuJu Smith-Schuster

Monday, September 4, 11:06 AM

Two-time Pro Bowl tight end Kyle Rudolph announced on Monday that he will officially retire as a member of the Minnesota Vikings. Rudolph makes the decision after playing 12 seasons in the NFL. Originally a second-round pick of the Vikings in 2011 out of Notre Dame, Rudolph played the first 10 seasons of his career in Minnesota before joining the New York Giants in 2021 and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last year. He'll finish with 482 career receptions on 709 targets for 4,773 yards and 50 touchdowns in 165 games (145 starts). In just nine games (zero starts) for Tampa in 2022, the 33-year-old had three catches for 28 yards and one touchdown. Both of his Pro Bowl campaigns came in Minnesota -- in 2012 and in 2017.

Thursday, May 2, 2:33 PM

Starting next month, the New England Patriots could cut wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster at a cost of $9.6 million in dead money and no salary cap relief, per Over the Cap, while releasing him before then would incur $2.6 million more in dead money and take a small chunk out of their league-leading $54 million cap room. If the Pats traded Smith-Schuster after June 1, they'd save almost $7 million in cap space and clear room for their young receivers to see more playing time. New England could prioritize playing time for rookies Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker, plus 2023 sixth-rounder Demario Douglas. It all means that Smith-Schuster may no longer be the team's No. 2 receiver, especially with Kendrick Bourne and K.J. Osborn also on the roster.