Ex-NFL player Kyle Rudolph discusses Vikings' QB decision, referees, the Super Bowl and NFL Draft giveaways

Kyle Rudolph near the Minnesota Vikings a mates seasons earlier they went 14-3 successful 2022, erstwhile they mislaid successful the archetypal circular of the playoffs to the New York Giants.

Two seasons later, they had astir a c transcript of that campaign. This year, they went 13-4 but had different first-round playoff exit.

"You got to marque the plays erstwhile it matters most, and they conscionable didn't bash it each of those past playoff games," Rudolph told Fox News Digital successful a caller interview.

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Now, the Vikings person to determine whether to support Sam Darnold oregon manus the keys to the discourtesy to J.J. McCarthy.

Minnesota Vikings choky extremity Kyle Rudolph (82) catches a walk for the winning touchdown implicit New Orleans Saints cornerback P.J. Williams (26) during overtime of a NFC wild-card playoff crippled astatine the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.  (Chuck Cook/USA Today Sports)

Minnesota drafted McCarthy with the 10th enactment of past year's NFL Draft, and helium was successful the moving to commencement until a genu wounded successful the preseason ended his season. That gave the motion to Darnold, who took vantage of the accidental and had, by far, the champion play of his career.

Darnold was playing himself into a lucrative declaration until his last 2 games. Now, who knows what he'll get connected the unfastened market?

At the precise least, helium whitethorn get a decent woody similar Baker Mayfield's. But adjacent that mightiness beryllium a batch for Minnesota, Rudolph said.

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"Well, I deliberation it really, truthful overmuch successful shot comes down to the wealth piece. You know, erstwhile you person a wage cap, and you're trying to physique a roster, unfortunately, you person to marque decisions that are solely based connected the ramifications of the wage headdress and what that does for your roster," Rudolph said. 

"So, erstwhile you look astatine Sam Darnold and the twelvemonth that helium had successful Minnesota, there's conscionable truthful galore factors that spell into it yet for Sam. Does helium privation to spell to the highest bidder? Do I deliberation Minnesota tin beryllium the highest bidder? No, I bash not. You person truthful overmuch different endowment connected that roster that they would similar to support and person to pay. If that's what Sam decides, and helium wants to spell to the highest bidder, I don't deliberation Minnesota has a chance. 

"If Sam says, ‘I emotion playing for Kevin O'Connell. This is the champion twelvemonth of my career. He brings the champion retired of me, I emotion being connected this team,’ I deliberation helium would person to instrumentality immoderate benignant of a discount. And past the 3rd portion that comes successful is, ultimately, you ever person the franchise tag. 

"So, if they were determine to franchise tag Sam, they could support him connected that one-year franchise tag deal. But, again, that makes things really, truly pugnacious connected the wage headdress due to the fact that that's a one-year afloat wage headdress hit. So, it'll beryllium absorbing what they decide.

Kyle Rudolph explained wherefore helium believes it's "really tough" to spot Sam Darnold returning to the Vikings past season.  (Imagn)

"To this point, Kevin [O'Connell] has proved that it truly doesn't substance who the backmost is. Jaren Hall, Josh Dobbs, Kirk Cousins, Sam Darnold — he's going to get the astir retired of him, and they're going to spell triumph shot games."

The Vikings volition beryllium location watching the Philadelphia Eagles effort to dethrone the Kansas City Chiefs, who are successful their 5th Super Bowl successful the past six years with a accidental to three-peat.

It's wide been argued Kansas City has the refs connected their side. But Rudolph disputed the thought of immoderate conspiracy oregon favoritism.

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"If you spell and look astatine the statistic and dive into benignant of similar wherever are the Chiefs compared to each different squad successful the NFL successful presumption of calls for and calls against, they're benignant of close determination successful the mediate of the pack," Rudolph said. 

"But what is antithetic astir the Chiefs, they're connected nationalist TV astir each week. They're playing successful primetime a full lot. They're ever making heavy playoff runs, 5 retired of six years successful the Super Bowl. Obviously, you person each the off-the-field publicity with Travis [Kelce] and Taylor [Swift] and Patrick’s stardom. It’s just, you spot it a batch more.

Referee Carl Cheffers speaks to Patrick Mahomes during a interruption successful the 3rd 4th astatine GEHA Field astatine Arrowhead Stadium Dec. 21, 2024, successful Kansas City, Mo.  (David Eulitt/Getty Images)

"They look for things that trigger, ‘Oh, that's a foul. That's a penalty.’ It’s the slightest jersey grab, but that’s thing that triggers their psyche to say, 'Oh, I saw that jersey grab, I'm throwing the flag.’ It's conscionable an contiguous absorption to them. So, no, I don't deliberation there's favoritism. Obviously, successful the satellite that we're successful today, if that were ever to beryllium the lawsuit … we person each the resources successful the satellite to find retired … right? We would know."

Rudolph spoke to Fox News Digital connected behalf of his ain charity, Alltroo, wherever fans tin donate to the campaign, and successful turn, those dollars spell straight to players' charities. But Rudolph and his partners person added a mates of twists.

This year, with conscionable a $10 donation to Alltroo, fans tin triumph some a travel to the Super Bowl with Drew Brees successful New Orleans and an accidental to denote a draught prime successful Green Bay aboriginal this twelvemonth if they donate to a Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee's charity. 

Considering that 94% of radical who donate to Alltroo had ne'er donated to a nonprofit before, Rudolph says it's a "win-win" for everyone.

Minnesota Vikings choky extremity Kyle Rudolph earlier a crippled against the Detroit Lions astatine U.S. Bank Stadium.  (Harrison Barden/USA Today Sports)

"What we wanted to make was an accidental for die-hard sports fans, not conscionable the high-net worthy individuals oregon the large firm brands, to person an accidental to enactment us. And past the flip broadside is radical are winning once-in-a beingness experiences and items that whitethorn beryllium retired of reach. 

"So, trying to make that win-win script wherever we're raising further funds for foundation that wouldn't different be, and then, ultimately, offering these once-in-a beingness experiences to fans that different wouldn't beryllium capable to spend it," Rudolph said, noting that Super Bowl prices are "insanely retired of terms for a batch of people."

Super Bowl LIX volition beryllium streamed connected Tubi. (Tubi)

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"Whatever you're consenting to donate to these players’ causes, 100% of the proceeds volition spell straight to these subordinate causes. So, we tin conscionable beryllium the conveyance that passes done these donations and then, astatine the extremity of the day, a fortunate fan's gonna person the accidental to spell up determination and denote a draught prime astatine the draught and recognize idiosyncratic else's dream. 

"So, each successful all, ace chill for maine to person the accidental arsenic a erstwhile nominee to truly spearhead this inaugural connected behalf of the league. For arsenic small arsenic a $10 donation, you person a accidental to win."

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