Vikings-Buccaneers Final Injury Report: Kendricks Out, Rudolph Doubtful

Irv Smith Jr. is questionable for Minnesota and Jamel Dean is doubtful for Tampa Bay in Week 14.

If the Vikings are going to upset the Buccaneers on the road this Sunday, they'll have to do it without arguably their best defensive player. All-Pro linebacker Eric Kendricks has officially been ruled out, meaning he will miss his second straight game with a calf injury.

Kyle Rudolph isn't officially out, but he's listed as doubtful and seems unlikely to play after failing to practice at all this week. That would bring his streak of 98 straight games played (including playoffs) to an end. It's the longest active streak of any tight end, and Rudolph's 93-game regular season streak is the 13th-longest among all position players. If you focus on games started, Rudolph has the seventh-longest streak in the NFL.

Mike Zimmer isn't ready to say it's impossible that Rudolph's streak could stay alive.

"He’s a pretty fast healer, so we’ll just see," Zimmer said on Friday. "He’s been getting a lot of treatment this week and he wants to play really bad. I don’t want to count him out yet."

With Rudolph a longshot to play, all eyes turn to Irv Smith Jr. and his back injury. Smith was limited in practice on Thursday and Friday after a Wednesday DNP and has been listed as questionable. The Vikings seem to be optimistic that he'll play, but it may come down to how he feels on Sunday morning. If Smith has a setback and can't play, the Vikings' only active tight end would be Tyler Conklin. Recent signee Hale Hentges is still on the exempt list as he goes through the COVID-19 protocols.

Update: Rudolph is officially out, while Smith is active but could have his snaps limited.

The only other Vikings player listed on the final injury report is backup running back Alexander Mattison, who is out due to having an appendectomy last week. Mike Boone and Ameer Abdullah will handle backup duties, which doesn't mean much behind Dalvin Cook.

The Vikings had five players who were limited on Wednesday and Thursday: D.J. Wonnum, Jeff Gladney, Riley Reiff, Garrett Bradbury, and Ezra Cleveland. All five practiced in full on Friday and are good to go for Sunday. With Wonnum returning, it'll be interesting to see what the Vikings' snap counts look like at defensive end. Wonnum should have a big role behind Ifeadi Odenigbo and Jalyn Holmes, but will it be Hercules Mata'afa or Jordan Brailford in the No. 4 spot?

The big Buccaneers news is that Mike Evans (hamstring) is good to go for Sunday. The only player listed on Tampa's final injury report is cornerback Jamel Dean, who is doubtful with a groin injury. According to Pro Football Focus, Dean has been the Bucs' best corner this season. Carlton Davis and Sean Murphy-Bunting will start at corner, with Ross Cockrell and Ryan Smith next in line for snaps.

Here's the complete injury report:

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