Chase Ford

Kyle Rudolph said this week it was important for him to make sure he could do everything he'd normally do when he did return.

He's typically on the field for about 90 percent of the Vikings' offensive snaps; between the time he's had off and how much the Vikings have used Chase Ford and Rhett Ellison in Rudolph's absence, not sure it's realistic to expect him to play that much in his first week back.

But given how much the Vikings use two-tight end sets -- and how successful tight ends have been against the Chicago Bears (their 668 receiving yards allowed to tight ends is the third-most in the league, per ESPN Stats & Information) -- expect to see plenty of Rudolph on Sunday.

Rudolph is apparently healthy for the first time in a while. If you've been struggling with guys like Jordan Reed, for example, and whoever is the Washington TE of the week, Rudolph may be able to give you some stability at the position. All through the offeseason we had news items saying Rudolph was going to be the centerpiece of the offense. While that may not happen this week, it sounds like he's at least going to get his snaps. The hope is by next week we'll have a much better read, but the potential is there if you need help.