Kyle Rudolph Ties Vikings Franchise Record for Most Touchdowns by Tight End

Minnesota Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph scored his 28th career touchdown during Sunday's 25-16 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, tying him with Steve Jordan for the most career touchdowns by a tight end in franchise history, per the team's Twitter account.

The score was the last by either team on the day, pushing the Vikings' record to 7-6 on the season and keeping them within two games of the Detroit Lions in the NFC North race. They sit tied with the Green Bay Packers for second in the division.

With three games remaining to add to his total, Rudolph already owns six touchdowns this year, his second-best mark for a season in his career. The sixth-year tight end also owns a career-high 573 receiving yards through Week 14.

It's been a relatively smooth transition for Rudolph from Teddy Bridgewater—who suffered a season-ending injury during training camp—to Sam Bradford under center. In fact, he's been targeted more times this season and has more receptions than he had in any previous campaign.

Minnesota has had to rely a bit more on Bradford and the passing game following star running back Adrian Peterson's Week 2 knee injury. However, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities reported Peterson is aiming to return to the gridiron in Week 16 against the Packers.

Rudolph has been a big beneficiary of Peterson's absence, posting what could be considered his best season as a pro thus far. While the Vikings have hit a bit of a slump since their hot start to the season—losing six of their last eight games—the club still owns a legitimate shot at earning a playoff berth. Rudolph should play a key role in any success the Vikings have the rest of the way.

Minnesota hosts the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, looking for its first multiwin streak since starting 5-0.