The New York Giants may not have a deal with Kyle Rudolph after all. New York has hit a snag in finalizing Rudolph’s contract after the team’s medical staff became concerned when Rudolph’s physical revealed the former Pro Bowl tight end may need foot surgery, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
Rudolph suffered a foot injury this past December, which landed him on the injured reserve list and caused him to miss the final four games of the season. Prior to last season, Rudolph played in 93 consecutive games — a testament to his durability at his position. Rudolph’s lingering ankle injury may cost him millions with the Giants — hurting the team’s plans for him in the offense in 2021.
New York and Rudolph agreed to a two-year contract last week, but the deal has not been signed. Rudolph has not had an official press conference with the Giants, but spoke about his pending deal with the team on SiriusXM NFL Radio Monday.
“I want to surround myself with a bunch of overachievers,” Rudolph said on joining the Giants, via Zack Rosenblatt of NJ.com. “I’ve always looked at myself as someone that tries to work harder than the next guy and be an overachiever and that really resonated with me and that’s something I want to be a part of.
“He (Giants head coach Joe Judge) said, ‘Listen, we’re all about football and we’re going to work hard, we’re going to do things the hard way, we’re going to build things the right way, so it lasts.’ And that’s something I want to be a part of.”
The Giants and Rudolph aren’t ending contract discussions yet, but New York is looking to cover all grounds if Rudolph would indeed need to get surgery. At this point, the Giants haven’t moved on from one of their biggest acquisitions of the offseason.