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The Buccaneers apparently took “I’m done playing, and I’m serious” as an answer.
Veteran tight end Kyle Rudolph has signed a one-year contract with the Buccaneers, according to ESPN.
Rudolph, who spent 10 years with the Vikings before spending a year with the Giants, will be the veteran replacement for Rob Gronkowski, who has repeatedly said his career is over — despite those close to him (including his agent and his girlfriend) don’t do it don’t buy it.
A two-time Pro Bowler and captain of a 2017 Minnesota team that got into a Super Bowl game, Rudolph has 479 career catches for 4,475 yards and 49 touchdowns in the regular season. His most productive year was 2016 with 83 catches for 840 yards. In his only season in New York, Rudolph had 26 receptions for 257 yards and a touchdown.
Veteran Cameron Brate is the expected starter, but Rudolph should get plenty of opportunities, especially with Gronk not coming back.
Rudolph, 32, joined the league in 2011, a year after Gronkowski. The terms of the deal, which have not yet been leaked, will go a long way towards determining whether Rudolph is a ban on the 53-man roster or has to earn a job in August.
Regardless, the move should be taken as further evidence that Gronkowski won’t be back in Tampa in 2022. Whether he will join forces with Brady if/when Brady plays for another team in 2023 remains to be seen.