INDIANAPOLIS — The Giants’ cap clearing has begun.
Kyle Rudolph said goodbye to the Giants, their fans and his teammates on Instagram Wednesday morning. A source confirmed to the Daily News that the team is releasing the veteran tight end on Wednesday.
Cutting Rudolph clears $5 million in salary cap space for the 2022 season, per overthecap.com, while leaving $2.4 million in dead money. GM Joe Schoen reiterated on Tuesday that he needs to and wants to shed $40 million from the roster he inherited.
“@nygiants Fans thanks for taking me and my family in this past year!” Rudolph wrote. “Certainly not the year any of us expected, but a year we will never forget.. We’re appreciative of the Mara and Tisch Families for giving us the opportunity to be a Giant. Thanks to everyone in the building who took in and helped this old guy who needed to relearn everything about a new organization.”
“Finally my teammates,” Rudolph added. “In my 11 years in this league I’m not sure I’ve been around a closer group of guys! We may not have got the results we deserved, but that didn’t keep us from going to work together everyday! Looking forward to what’s next!!”
Rudolph, 32, will be the first of many cuts in the coming days and weeks.
He made 26 catches for 257 yards and a touchdown in 16 games and 13 starts during his lone season in New York. He played 48% of the team’s offensive snaps and made a huge recovery of a Saquon Barkley fumble in overtime of the Giants’ first win at New Orleans in Week 4.
The Giants originally signed the longtime Minnesota Vikings standout last offseason to a two-year, $12 million free agent contract with $7 million guaranteed, including a $4.5 million signing bonus.
Rudolph wasn’t quite himself in 2021, though, coming off a foot surgery that was required after the Giants signed him to that big free agent deal.
In a bizarre scene, Dave Gettleman said in August that the Giants had known Rudolph needed surgery before the team negotiated his original contract and gave him a physical in March. The team later clarified the GM had misspoken, but it was still a questionable investment given the circumstances.
Rudolph and Daniel Jones became fast friends, though. They were neighbors and typically drove to home games together. And Rudolph was a positive influence in the Giants’ building.
But Rudolph’s $4.5 million cap hit in 2021 was scheduled to rise to $7.4 million this season, which made him an obvious likely cut as Schoen tries to get the Giants’ finances and roster in order.
THOMAS OUT OF BOOT
Giants left tackle Andrew Thomas is already out of the boot in his progress from ankle surgery, The News has learned. There is excitement about the season the former first-round pick can have in 2022 after finally and completely cleaning out his pesky left ankle. The Giants need offensive linemen, but they believe they have a cornerstone in Thomas, 23, entering his third NFL season.
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