Kyle Rudolph left the Minnesota Vikings a couple seasons before they went 14-3 in 2022, when they lost in the first round of the playoffs to the New York Giants.

Two seasons later, they had almost a carbon copy of that campaign. This year, they went 13-4 but had another first-round playoff exit.

"You got to make the plays when it matters most, and they just didn't do it each of those last playoff games," Rudolph told Fox News Digital in a recent interview.

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Now, the Vikings have to decide whether to keep Sam Darnold or hand the keys to the offense to J.J. McCarthy.

Minnesota drafted McCarthy with the 10th selection of last year's NFL Draft, and he was in the running to start until a knee injury in the preseason ended his season. That gave the nod to Darnold, who took advantage of the opportunity and had, by far, the best season of his career.

Darnold was playing himself into a lucrative contract until his final two games. Now, who knows what he'll get on the open market?

At the very least, he may get a decent deal like Baker Mayfield's. But even that might be a lot for Minnesota, Rudolph said.

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"Well, I think it really, so much in football comes down to the money piece. You know, when you have a salary cap, and you're trying to build a roster, unfortunately, you have to make decisions that are solely based on the ramifications of the salary cap and what that does for your roster," Rudolph said. 

"So, when you look at Sam Darnold and the year that he had in Minnesota, there's just so many factors that go into it ultimately for Sam. Does he want to go to the highest bidder? Do I think Minnesota can be the highest bidder? No, I do not. You have so much other talent on that roster that they would like to keep and have to pay. If that's what Sam decides, and he wants to go to the highest bidder, I don't think Minnesota has a chance. 

"If Sam says, ‘I love playing for Kevin O'Connell. This is the best year of my career. He brings the best out of me, I love being on this team,’ I think he would have to take some sort of a discount. And then the third piece that comes in is, ultimately, you always have the franchise tag. 

"So, if they were decide to franchise tag Sam, they could keep him on that one-year franchise tag deal. But, again, that makes things really, really tough on the salary cap because that's a one-year full salary cap hit. So, it'll be interesting what they decide.

"To this point, Kevin [O'Connell] has proved that it really doesn't matter who the quarterback is. Jaren Hall, Josh Dobbs, Kirk Cousins, Sam Darnold — he's going to get the most out of him, and they're going to go win football games."

The Vikings will be home watching the Philadelphia Eagles try to dethrone the Kansas City Chiefs, who are in their fifth Super Bowl in the last six years with a chance to three-peat.

It's widely been argued Kansas City has the refs on their side. But Rudolph disputed the idea of any conspiracy or favoritism.

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"If you go and look at the statistics and dive into kind of like where are the Chiefs compared to every other team in the NFL in terms of calls for and calls against, they're kind of right there in the middle of the pack," Rudolph said. 

"But what is different about the Chiefs, they're on national TV almost every week. They're playing in primetime a whole lot. They're always making deep playoff runs, five out of six years in the Super Bowl. Obviously, you have all the off-the-field publicity with Travis [Kelce] and Taylor [Swift] and Patrick’s stardom. It’s just, you see it a lot more.

"They look for things that trigger, ‘Oh, that's a foul. That's a penalty.’ It’s the slightest jersey grab, but that’s something that triggers their psyche to say, 'Oh, I saw that jersey grab, I'm throwing the flag.’ It's just an immediate reaction to them. So, no, I don't think there's favoritism. Obviously, in the world that we're in today, if that were ever to be the case … we have all the resources in the world to find out … right? We would know."

Rudolph spoke to Fox News Digital on behalf of his own charity, Alltroo, where fans can donate to the campaign, and in turn, those dollars go directly to players' charities. But Rudolph and his partners have added a couple of twists.

This year, with just a $10 donation to Alltroo, fans can win both a trip to the Super Bowl with Drew Brees in New Orleans and an opportunity to announce a draft pick in Green Bay later this year if they donate to a Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee's charity. 

Considering that 94% of people who donate to Alltroo had never donated to a nonprofit before, Rudolph says it's a "win-win" for everyone.

"What we wanted to create was an opportunity for die-hard sports fans, not just the high-net worth individuals or the big corporate brands, to have an opportunity to support us. And then the flip side is people are winning once-in-a lifetime experiences and items that may be out of reach. 

"So, trying to create that win-win scenario where we're raising additional funds for charity that wouldn't otherwise be, and then, ultimately, offering these once-in-a lifetime experiences to fans that otherwise wouldn't be able to afford it," Rudolph said, noting that Super Bowl prices are "insanely out of price for a lot of people."

"Whatever you're willing to donate to these players’ causes, 100% of the proceeds will go directly to these player causes. So, we can just be the vehicle that passes through these donations and then, at the end of the day, a lucky fan's gonna have the opportunity to go up there and announce a draft pick at the draft and realize someone else's dream. 

"So, all in all, super cool for me to have the opportunity as a former nominee to really spearhead this initiative on behalf of the league. For as little as a $10 donation, you have a chance to win."

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After playing six years at Indiana University, Mike Katic has decided to put his NFL dreams to the side.

After initially declaring for last year's NFL Draft, then returning for his final year of eligibility, the former center has decided to join Barstool Sports as a media personality and analyst.

"I’m pumped. This is what I think I was born to do," Katic said on "The Yak" with Dan "Big Cat" Katz. "Football’s great, but I think this is my thing. So, I’m super excited to move in here."

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Katic doesn't start officially working until March 1, but he paid a visit to Jon Gruden, who was recently hired by the site, at Barstool's offices. And they had about as much of a greeting as one would predict from a Super Bowl champion coach and a six-year college star.

"Barstool’s got our new center and I already love him!" Gruden said on X while posting a video of their first interaction.

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Immediately after shaking hands, Gruden asked Katic to get into his lineman stance, and the two shared another handshake and hug.

"When [Gruden] tells you to get in a stance, you get into a damn stance!" Katic posted on X.

Katic seemed to hint his playing days were over after the Hoosiers' College Football Playoff loss to Notre Dame when he posted on X, "Thank you Indiana University. Thank you Football."

Katic was likely to be a late-round selection if he had been taken at all. Pro Football Focus graded Katic as the 10th best center in the Power Four conferences.

Katic said he was hired quickly after Dave Portnoy saw him in "three clips doing media" after being connected through a member of the Hoosiers' men's basketball team.

The Pittsburgh native will work out of Barstool's Chicago office after playing in 50 games for the Hoosiers.

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Less than three weeks ago, the New York Giants had control of the NFL Draft board and tentatively held onto the No. 1 pick. Then, they scored 45 points, their most in over 10 years, and won.

The Giants are now in line to pick third in the draft, and many experts say two quarterbacks, at most, are worthy of being selected early on. 

The two teams ahead of the Giants — the Titans and Browns — are likely in the quarterback market.

It was the worst Giants season in a generation. Their .176 winning percentage with their 3-14 record was the fourth-lowest in franchise history. And, yet, owner John Mara made the unpopular decision to keep both head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen.

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Firing Daboll, however, would have meant the Giants would have had, not including interims, their fifth head coach in 10 seasons. That's not an ideal process, especially considering Tom Coughlin manned the station for 12.

And while Giants fans may not like the decision, Victor Cruz understands it.

"I think, at some point, you gotta provide some continuity, right? You can't just keep firing every coach. You gotta give some guys a little bit of a runway to figure out if they're the guys," Cruz told Fox News Digital in a recent interview. 

Cruz said players, especially the veterans, "love" Daboll, which led to Mara's decision. But they need to contend next year if Daboll and Schoen want to survive.

"I'm not saying we got to go win 13 games, 12 games, but we have to at least be in a competitive state next year so that the fans can have a better taste in their mouths," Cruz said. He even admitted the tandem could survive if the Giants "suck" again.

"I think it depends on what level of suck are we, right? How much do we suck? Are we 3-14 again, or are we 9-8? 8-9? Are we in that middle tier to maybe we’re a couple pieces away?" he said.

"Now, if we’re a three-win team next year, you gotta blow it up, because clearly it's not working. But if we're that middle tier — 9-8, 8-9, in contention — maybe a wild-card spot and we’re right there in it, then I have a different taste. Then I'm like, 'OK, I commit to them. Let's figure out what we need to get over that last hump.'"

The G-Men aren't likely to sniff a Super Bowl for a while, so perhaps the players will be throwing some parties for the big game this year. Cruz is, and he's partnered with Finish Ultimate dishwasher detergent ahead of traveling to New Orleans next month. The brand is giving away a $10,000 prize so fans can host the Super Bowl party of their dreams.

"As I’ve transitioned into my retirement and chilling and posting things at the crib, it just helps getting the tough stains out. It helps when I'm making food, different food is here, and we got those tough stains on those dishes," said Cruz. 

"Finish Ultimate is just the way to go to get the tough stains out, and I wouldn't use any other brand than Finish Ultimate."

The Giants' focus is on the draft, and even if the Titans and Browns do let Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders fall to the Giants, Cruz would say thanks, but no thanks and aim for a familiar name.

"I think we should get one of those veteran guys in free agency, build our roster for another year, be competitive the next year and then go all in on Arch Manning the next year after that," Cruz said. "Now, we accrued a team through the draft and free agency. We have a year of a draft to put the guys in contention, to build our roster to the right way, build depth in all these positions. … Then, we go get a quarterback in free agency and see what happens."

So, who does Cruz want at No. 3?

"I like Travis Hunter. You put him with Malik Nabers and give him some plays on defense? Come on. It’s hard to pass that up. That’s that game changer I'm talking about. That's that guy that you can't game plan for. Imagine a team having to game plan for a guy on defense, and then be like, ‘Oh, by the way, he’s gonna play 30 snaps on offense.’ He’s a guy that can really do some good things for us. 

"He’s a great personality. He’s a great kid. Gonna have a ton of fun out there, And he and Malik Nabers together, seeing their energies and picturing that together not only on the field, but marketing galore off the field, those guys are going to be crushing it in New York City.

"And I just think that them two together could also help each other, feed off of each other, and help each other grow simultaneously so that they can be together and face all the ups and downs that are going to come. And they could be the glue that keeps that team together and keeps everybody positive."

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Police in Louisiana have issued an arrest warrant for LSU receiver and NFL Draft prospect Kyren Lacy for negligent homicide after police allege he fled a deadly car crash last month. 

Louisiana State Police said in a press release issued Friday that Lacy, 24, was driving "recklessly" and speeding past other cars while driving on the highway Dec. 17. 

According to police, Lacy was "crossing the centerline and entering the northbound lane while in a designated No-Passing Zone" when a driver of a pickup truck in the northbound lane swerved to avoid a head-on collision with Lacy. 

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The actions of the pickup truck caused the driver of the vehicle immediately behind it, a Kia Cadenza, to swerve to avoid colliding with Lacy’s car, but the driver instead collided head-on with another vehicle in the southbound lane. 

A passenger in the Kia Cadenza identified as 78-year-old Herman Hall was transported to a hospital before eventually dying, police said. 

In addition to being wanted for negligent homicide, Lacy is facing a felony hit-and-run charge after police say he "drove around the crash scene and fled" without stopping to render aid or call 911. He also allegedly failed to notify law enforcement about his involvement.

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Lacy’s warrant also includes a charge of reckless operation of a vehicle. According to Louisiana State Police, the former LSU star has since been in contact with law enforcement. 

Lacy transferred to LSU in 2022. This season, he caught 58 passes for 866 yards and nine touchdowns. He did not play in LSU's win over Baylor in the Texas Bowl Dec. 31. 

Lacy declared for the 2025 NFL Draft just two days after the crash. 

"LSU has truly made a big impact on my life on and off the field, these past 3 years. Playing in Death Valley, for the best fans in the country, was an experience I will never forget. Not too many people get to fulfill a dream like this. I am forever grateful for it," Lacy wrote in his announcement. 

"I want to express my appreciation to all my coaches, support staff, and trainers for helping develop me as a football player, but most importantly as a person. Although, we didn't accomplish our goal of winning a national championship, I promise to take all of those life lessons with me in the next chapter of my life."

LSU did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. 

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The Tennessee Titans secured the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft after a loss in Week 18. However, general manager Ran Carthon will not be making that selection. 

The team announced on Tuesday that, after two seasons, they have parted ways with Carthon. 

The Titans were 3-14 this season, and 9-25 over the past two years with Carthon at the helm. 

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Titans team owner Amy Adams Strunk informed Carthon that the team would be making a change on Tuesday morning.

"I've loved the time I've spent with Ran. He's a talented football mind, a great man, and friend to everyone along his path. It's impossible to ignore that our football team hasn't improved over the past two years. I am deeply disappointed in our poor win-loss record during this period, of course, but my decision also speaks to my concern about our long-term future should we stay the course," Strunk said in a statement. 

"I love this team more than you can imagine. To our fans: we know this level of performance isn't acceptable. We're humbled by your support as we continue to work towards building the team you expect and deserve."

Despite the firing of Carthon, head coach Brian Callahan will return next season.

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President of Football Operations Chad Brinker will lead the search for their new general manager. 

In the Titans statement, Brinker listed what he will be looking for. 

"I think the general manager position is unique to their respective organizations. This particular job, what we'll be looking for is someone who has spent their career as a scout, is a top-flight, top-level evaluator who has spent the majority of their career projecting college players to the National Football League, they've had a major hand in setting the draft board in preferably a consistent, winning organization, and you can see their fingerprints all over the roster," Brinker said.

"It is someone who wakes up every single day and the only thing they think about is building a roster, evaluating players, watching tape, working with the coaching staff. And, not just someone who knows how to collect talent, but someone who really understands how to build a team and how all the pieces fit together that I can work with not only in the short term, winning today, but building for the future, the long term, and understanding how all those pieces fit together. If you make a decision here, how it impacts a decision down the road, and really understand the full puzzle.

"At the end of the day, this person is going to be all ball, all day. They are going to focus on the roster and the coaching staff, and I'll continue in my role with handling all the other areas that surround the center of our program, scouting and coaches. So, I will support that person. But we are looking for a general manager who wakes up every day and is focused on building the team."

Whoever the new general manager is, they are armed with the top pick in the draft, and a little over $61 million in cap space, according to Over The Cap.

The big question for their new general manager is what they want to do at the quarterback position, after second-year quarterback Will Levis struggled this season. 

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This is the time of the year when a lot of college football players will declare for the NFL Draft.

A lot of players will post a statement that they are grateful for their college experience, and that they are looking forward to what the future holds in the NFL. 

But University of Washington linebacker Drew Fowler announced that he was declaring for something other than the NFL in his post.

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"When I first committed here in 2019, I talked about taking ‘the road less traveled.’ Boy, did I have any idea what that would truly mean. Playing through 4 head coaches, 3 athletic directors, 4 coordinators, and a global pandemic, my experience at UW has been nothing short of special," Fowler said in his statement.

Fowler would go on to thank his coaches, academic advisors, athletic trainers, his teammates and everyone else who helped him along the way, and then concluded his statement with a curveball.

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"With that being said, I’m officially declaring for the job market. In other words, I need a job. If you are anybody you know has an employment opportunity, I am your guy. Gritty, hardworking, sneaky athletic, locker room guy, will bring my lunch pail to work," Fowler wrote.

"My LinkedIn is updated, and I am #OpenToWork."

"Thank you, Husky Nation."

Washington lost to Louisville 35-34 in the Sun Bowl on Tuesday, ending Fowler’s college career.

Fowler played for five years, all with Washington, and had 42 combined tackles with one tackle for loss in his career. 

Now he will look to take his talents to the job market. 

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Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke's season was already impressive, as he helped lead the Hoosiers to an 11-2 record and a College Football Playoff berth – their best season in program history.

What makes Rourke’s play even more remarkable is that he was believed to have re-torn his ACL back in August and played through the injury, the quarterback’s agent told NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

Rourke first tore his ACL at the end of the 2022 season when he was playing with Ohio University.

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Rourke will undergo ACL revision surgery on Wednesday, per his agent. 

If playing through a re-torn ACL was not enough, Rourke also played through a thumb injury as well.

During Indiana’s 56-7 win over Nebraska on Oct. 19, Rourke broke his thumbnail on his right hand, his throwing hand, after being hit. X-rays later revealed that Rourke’s thumbnail broke because he broke a bone in his thumb.

Rourke underwent surgery just days later, only missed one game and returned to play against Michigan State on Nov. 2 with two screws in his thumb. 

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Rourke threw four touchdown passes in the Hoosiers’ 47-10 win over the Spartans while wearing a splint under his glove, per the IndyStar. 

Despite playing through a knee injury, and eventually a thumb injury, Rourke finished ninth in Heisman voting. 

The Hoosiers quarterback completed 69.4% of his passes, throwing for 3042 yards and 29 touchdowns, compared to just five interceptions. 

Rourke spent the first five seasons of his college career with Ohio before transferring to Indiana ahead of the 2024 season. 

Indiana’s remarkable season ended with a loss to Notre Dame in the first round of the College Football Playoffs.

Rourke will be entering the NFL Draft. 

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Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe announced on Thursday that he is declaring for this year's NFL Draft.

In an announcement on social media, Milroe thanked "my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ," his family, teammates and "the entire Alabama family."

"Football has always been my passion, and since I was a kid, I dreamed of competing at the highest level. Through every win, every tough loss, and any criticism along the way, my love and dedication to this game has never wavered," Milroe wrote. "Each day, my gratitude for the opportunity to play this sport I love only grows stronger.

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"With that said, I am declaring for the 2025 NFL Draft. Roll Tide forever!"

Milroe posted a career-high 2,844 passing yards in the 2024 season; his 726 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns on the ground this season were also the most he had with Alabama.

Milroe is not likely to be an early first-rounder, but it should not be much of a surprise if he does wind up being taken on the first night of the draft this April.

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His college career did not end on a high note as his Crimson Tide fell to Michigan, 19-13, in the ReliaQuest Bowl on Tuesday. 

In what seemed like déjà vu from the Rose Bowl the previous season, the Alabama offense was stopped by the Wolverines' defense on fourth down on the other side of the field. Milroe went 16-for-32 for 194 yards and ran for just four.

In all, Milroe played 38 games with Alabama, completing 64.3% of his passes for 6,016 yards, 45 touchdowns and 20 interceptions; on the ground, he ran for a total of 1,577 yards and 33 touchdowns.

Milroe figures to join a quarterback class that will feature Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward. It remains to be seen what Quinn Ewers and Carson Beck will do.

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Carson Beck’s collegiate career has officially come to an end.

The Georgia quarterback took to social media Saturday to announce his decision to declare for the 2025 NFL Draft, just five days after Beck underwent season-ending elbow surgery. 

"The past five years at the University of Georgia have been nothing short of a dream come true and I will forever cherish the memories that have been made," Beck said in a post on Instagram. 

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"Thank you Dawg Nation for the time I've been here and to those who’ve supported and believed in me, thank you. It’s been an incredible journey and all these moments have ultimately led me to take the next step in my football career. With that being said, I will be declaring for the 2025 NFL Draft. Go Dawgs!" 

Beck was injured in the first half of the Bulldogs' overtime victory over Texas in the SEC championship game earlier this month. 

He underwent surgery Monday to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing arm and is expected to begin throwing in the spring. 

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Despite having another year of eligibility, Beck declared for the draft after back-to-back seasons as Georgia’s starter with a 24-3 record. 

"I want to thank God, for blessing me with the opportunity to play the game I love. Through the ups and downs, the highs and lows, everything that this game produces and provides I'm eternally grateful for. Football has taught me lessons that will last a lifetime and has grown me into the person I am today," his statement said.

"I’m so grateful for my family and those close to me for the support they’ve provided me during this Journey. They’ve always had my back no matter what the circumstance, and I can’t thank them enough for that." 

Gunner Stockton took over in Beck’s absence with hopes of leading Georgia to another national championship. The Bulldogs face Notre Dame in the CFP quarterfinals in the Sugar Bowl Wednesday. 

The Associated Press contributed to the report. 

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