The Minnesota Vikings and Kirk Cousins had a very disappointing 2018 season. After making an NFC Championship Game run in 2017, the Vikings were supposed to be a Super Bowl contender after adding Cousins. Instead, they went 8-7-1 and missed the playoffs.

Cousins has been taking a lot of heat, and the team desperately needs a bounce-back year. If the Vikings' offense is going to have a resurgence, a big part of that is going to be tight end, Kyle Rudolph. Defenses are going to be keyed in on stopping Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs, which means Rudolph will need to step up.

The relationship between Cousins and Rudolph seems to be improving, and Cousins said recently he's learning to trust him more and more.

“I’ve done a better job this camp . . . of just trusting him more and throwing it to him even when he’s covered,” Cousins told reporters on Wednesday, via Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com. “I think today there were probably two or three examples of him catching the ball with the defender draped over him or pretty close to him. He is just such a trustworthy target, so little things like that, building a chemistry with him, you would’ve loved to say I did that last year, but I don’t think I did enough.”

“He just continues to show that when you throw it to him in those moments, he makes you right,” Cousins added. “He catches it.”

It was a tumultuous offseason for Rudolph. The Vikings drafted tight end Irv Smith Jr. in the second round, and there were persistent rumors that he could be traded. In the end, though Minnesota gave Rudolph a big extension, and Cousins is clearly looking forward to having him.

“I guess look back and regret a little bit not doing that more with him last year and then look forward to this year and giving him more opportunities to make it right. When really everything in you is telling you, ‘Hey, he’s really not open, but let’s give him a shot.'”