Giants Country

Giants Cut TE Kyle Rudolph to Clear Salary Cap Space

The Giants salary cap splurge has begun with one of the more obvious cuts that was expected.

Patricia Traina

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The cap cuts have begun for the Giants.

Tight end Kyle Rudolph becomes the first known cap casualty by the Giants, who must clear about $40 million in space to comply with the 2022 cap while also having enough room to operate in free agency.

Rudolph posted a poignant farewell message on his Twitter account thanking the Giants fans and team ownership for welcoming him and his family to the franchise.

Rudolph, an accomplished red-zone threat, signed a two-year deal with the Giants last off-season worth $12 million. But before he could sign the deal, his physical revealed that his season-ending foot ailment suffered the year prior with the Vikings had not adequately healed and would require surgery.

Unfortunately, Rudolph missed all of training camp, and when he did return to the field, the 6’6, 265-pounder looked like his best years were behind him.

Though he only missed one regular-season game (Week 12), Rudolph’s impact was minimal, his highest percentage of snaps occurring on opening day. And when he was on the field, he had trouble beating coverage and was rarely targeted (eight targets) in the red zone.

His 26 catches were his lowest total since 2014, and his blocking was reliable but rarely physical.

Though Rudolph looked healthier the second half of the year, and his patterns seemed crisper, his snaps trended downward.

The transaction saves the Giants $5 million on their salary cap with a $2,408,334 dead-money hit.

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Patricia Traina
PATRICIA TRAINA

Patricia Traina has covered the New York Giants for 30+ seasons, and her work has appeared in multiple media outlets, including The Athletic, Forbes, Bleacher Report, and the Sports Illustrated media group. As a credentialed New York Giants press corps member, Patricia has also covered five Super Bowls (three featuring the Giants), the annual NFL draft, and the NFL Scouting Combine. She is the author of The Big 50: The Men and Moments that Made the New York Giants. In addition to her work with New York Giants On SI, Patricia hosts the Locked On Giants podcast. Patricia is also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and the Football Writers Association of America.

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