Kyle Rudolph Released by Giants Ahead of Free Agency After 1 Season with Team

The New York Giants are releasing veteran tight end Kyle Rudolph.

The two-time Pro Bowler, who signed a two-year deal in 2021, announced Wednesday he was on the way out: 

Rudolph caught 26 passes for 257 yards and one touchdown in his only season with the Giants.

He also confirmed to ESPN's Adam Schefter that he wants to keep playing in 2022.

As he embarked on his first offseason as general manager, Joe Schoen needed to trim $12.2 million from the Giants' payroll in order to get under the salary cap. He'll obviously want to shave off even more than that too in order to sign free agents and draft picks.

Cutting Rudolph was done with that goal in mind.

In general, Rudolph's production has been trending downward, which made him one of the team's likeliest cap casualties.

While he's clearly on the wrong end of the aging curve at 32, another team might be willing to give Rudolph a shot. In addition to the value he provides on the field, he can be a positive presence inside the locker room:

The 6'6" pass-catcher might also successfully argue a change of scenery will provide a slight boost to his numbers.

The Giants finished last in offensive efficiency in 2021, per Football Outsiders, as Daniel Jones failed to take a step forward in his development. Jones threw for 2,428 yards, 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions during his third year under center.

Rudolph's 9.9 yards per reception were equal to his career average, and his 66.7 percent catch rate wasn't much lower than his usual standard (68.0 percent), per Pro Football Reference.

It's safe to assume he won't return to his Pro Bowl form again, but he might have another solid year or two left in the tank to be a dependable option at tight end.