12-13-2020, 05:12 PM
Kyle Rudolph out for Vikings vs. Buccaneers with foot injury; Smith returnsThe tight end's starting streak ends after 98 consecutive games. Here's the list of Vikings inactives.
TAMPA, Fla. — Despite the Vikings holding out hope he could play, tight end Kyle Rudolph will miss Sunday's game against Tampa Bay, ending his starting streak at 98 consecutive games.
Rudolph did not practice all week with a foot injury he sustained against the Jaguars, but the team listed him as doubtful, not out.
"He's been getting a lot of treatment this week and he wants to play really bad," coach Mike Zimmer said Friday. "I don't want to count him out, yet."
The tight end had the longest active starting streak among NFL tight ends and had played against the Bengals in 2017 after missing the entire week of practice with a foot injury. That week, the Vikings had upgraded Rudolph to questionable on Saturday.
This week, he'd continued to get treatment in a late effort to play, but on Sunday morning, Irv Smith and Tyler Conklin went through pregame warmups at Raymond James Stadium as Rudolph tossed a football to himself, it became clear he wouldn't play.
Smith, who'd missed three of the team's last four games with groin and back injuries, will return on Sunday.
Smith was a limited participant in practice on Thursday and Friday, and offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak said this week he thought Smith was headed in the right direction to return for the game in Tampa.
The Vikings also deactivated return man K.J. Osborn for the second time in three weeks, indicating Chad Beebe and Ameer Abdullah will handle kick and punt return duties on Sunday.
Here is the Vikings' full list of inactives for Sunday's game at Raymond James Stadium:
TE Kyle Rudolph (foot)
LB Eric Kendricks (calf)
RB Alexander Mattison (appendectomy)
WR K.J. Osborn
T Oli Udoh
CB Dylan Mabin
https://www.startribune.com/kyle-rudolph...600001258/