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Giants Tight End Kyle Rudolph Explains His Success in the Red Zone

The Giants are counting on tight end Kyle Rudolph to boost their red zone production this year.

Patricia Traina

Giants Tight End Kyle Rudolph Explains His Success in the Red Zone
Giants Tight End Kyle Rudolph Explains His Success in the Red Zone /

New York Giants tight end Kyle Rudolph is about to begin his 11th NFL season and is probably at a point in his NFL lifecycle where the daily grind of training camp is something he can do without.

But not this year, not after Rudolph had to miss the majority of training camp while recovering from off-season foot surgery that landed him on the PUP list to start training camp. For Rudolph, getting back on the field as an active player, even this late in camp and in a still-limited capacity, was enough to give the 31-year old a rush.

"It was exciting to be back out there with my teammates," he said after practice. "For me, this was the first football I’ve gotten to play since December. I’ve still got a long way to go, a lot of work left ahead, but this is what I love to do."

The Giants are counting on Rudolph, the big tight end who has been one of the best at his position in recent years when it comes to red zone productivity, to play a significant role in their offense.

Last year the Giants converted 46.34% of their red-zone scoring opportunities into touchdowns, 31st in the league.

Rudolph, they hope, will cure that dry spell, and certainly, his history suggests that will be the case if he is on the field. Of his 48 career touchdown receptions, 40 of them (83.3 percent) have come in the red zone.

"I’ve got a lot of basketball in my background," Rudolph said when asked what makes him so effective in the red zone. "You see carryover between the game of basketball and the tight end position.

"The thing about the red zone is the windows are a lot tighter, there’s a lot less space, but I try to (take) a lot of pride in making tight-window catches and when the quarterback has the confidence in me to throw me the ball in a tight window, catch it for him."

Head coach Joe Judge wasn't quite ready to say how Rudolph was going to fit into the offense considering the player just returned from the PUP list Wednesday, but the head coach added that there is a lot to like about Rudolph's game.

"He obviously has a very accomplished resume," Judge said. "He's a good player. He brings a lot of value in situational football. He's a big target with good hands. You know, we'll have to just wait until we see him and Daniel working together in team drills."

Jones was happy to have his new tight end back on the field.

"Good to see him out there," he said. "He’s worked so hard to get back and he’s been behind the scenes a lot helping all of us, helping me, helping the tight ends, and it’s been good to have him out there."

For Rudolph, it was important to salvage some of training camp to let himself get into football shape. Although the trainers are expected to gradually ease him back in before lifting any restrictions, Rudolph wasted no time in getting to work in building chemistry with quarterback Daniel Jones, something he hasn't been able to do this off-season.

"It’s been awesome to watch him. I was a huge fan of his from afar," Rudolph said of the third-year quarterback.

"Obviously, he came up with the Vikings a couple years ago and our defensive guys just raved about his talent. Now, getting to know him as a player and as an individual, his leadership ability, guys gravitate towards him, and that goes a long way, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Continuity is huge and we all rally behind Daniel."

As excited as Rudolph is to be back on the field with his teammates getting his body into football shape, he is not looking to rush things.

"These next couple of weeks are huge. I just was able to get my feet wet today, but I’ve got a lot of work left to do. I’m just going to keep working each and every day, chipping away at it.

"One of my favorite sayings is, ‘You eat an elephant one bite at a time,’ so if I look two weeks from now as, ‘Oh my God, how am I going to get ready to play a game?’ I’ll never get there. But if I just take it each day a time, I’ll be happy with where I’m at in two weeks."

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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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