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

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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 Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph (82) catches a pass for the winning touchdown over New Orleans Saints cornerback P.J. Williams (26) during overtime of a NFC wild-card playoff game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.  (Chuck Cook/USA Today Sports)

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