Kyle Rudolph Injury: Updates on Vikings TE's Ankle, Knee and Return

The 2014 campaign has been an injury-plagued one for Minnesota Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph and things aren't getting any better now that he is once again on the shelf due to ankle and knee injuries. He missed Week 16, but returned for Week 17.

Continue for updates.

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Rudolph Active for Week 17

Sunday, Dec. 28

The Vikings confirmed Rudolph would play today against the Bears:

On Friday, Matt Vensel of the Minneapolis Star Tribune confirmed Rudolph was questionable to play:

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Rudolph Missed Practice

Thursday, Dec. 25

Matt Vensel of StarTribune.com confirms Rudolph failed to practice today.

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Rudolph Out for Week 16

Sunday, Dec. 21

The Vikings confirmed Rudolph would not play against Miami:

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Rudolph Officially Doubtful for Week 16

Friday, Dec. 19

According to Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, the Notre Dame alum is doubtful for Week 16:

Brian Murphy of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports it's due to ankle and knee injuries.

Staying on the field has proved to be a major problem for Rudolph over the past couple of years. After being named to the Pro Bowl in 2012, the big tight end proceeded to miss eight games last season with a fractured foot.

His durability concerns unfortunately carried over into 2014 as well, with a groin injury knocking him out of the Vikes' Week 3 game against the New Orleans Saints. Per SportsCenter, that resulted in the 25-year-old star having to undergo sports hernia surgery:

Following the announcement that Rudolph would likely be out of action for several weeks, he made it clear on his Twitter account that he intended to return in top form:

As determined as Rudolph was, having to sit on the sidelines was tough for him at the same time. According to ESPN.com's Ben Goessling, Rudolph still found ways to stay positive:

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It's difficult, when you've got to go two weeks, almost two-and-a-half weeks, not doing anything but walking on a treadmill. It gets a little boring. But these guys have my best interests in mind. Any time you have surgery, you don't know -- am I doing too much? Am I behind? But it's reassuring to know you can go as hard as your body will let you, and you're not going to have setbacks. As long as those guys are allowing me to do stuff, you go as hard as you can.

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That outlook ultimately helped Rudolph get back on the field, but he now finds himself back in a situation that has overtaken his career over the past two seasons.

With rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater trying to settle in and establish himself as a true pro, the loss of a player like Rudolph is absolutely huge. Although he isn't particularly explosive like wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson, he is the quintessential safety valve that a young signal-caller can look to when he is in stressful situations.

Now that Bridgewater's sure-handed tight end is out of the lineup once again, it severely limits what the Vikings can do on offense.

Perhaps an even bigger concern is what this means for Rudolph moving forward. After missing just one game in his first two seasons, he has been injured more often than not ever since.

He may just be on the receiving end of some bad luck, but one can't help but wonder if Rudolph has earned the injury-prone label.

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