Chargers Say Goodbye to Former Vikings All Pro
Josh Frey
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With free agency officially beginning around the NFL in just about a week, teams have begun the process of cutting players to free up cap space.
The Los Angeles Chargers decided to tear down part of their roster on Tuesday afternoon when they opted to say goodbye to former Vikings All-Pro linebacker Eric Kendricks, who spent just one season in L.A. after being cut by Minnesota following the 2022 season.
Chargers Cut LB Eric Kendricks
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported the news, tweeting, “The #Chargers are releasing LB Eric Kendricks, source said.”
This is a move that will save the Chargers $6.5 million in cap space, but they still have to find a way to free up $19.174 million more, according to Over the Cap, if they are going to be salary cap compliant by the time free agency rolls around next week.
Kendricks, who just turned 32 years old on February 29th, began his NFL career with the Vikings after being selected in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft out of UCLA. Almost immediately, he became a crucial part of their defensive scheme. Over his eight seasons in Minnesota, Kendricks started 113 games for the Vikings, recording 919 tackles, 54 TFLs, 15 sacks, 51 PDs, 9 interceptions, 4 forced fumbles, and 6 fumble recoveries.
For his efforts in 2019, Kendricks was named a first-team All-Pro as he helped the Vikings to a 10-6 record while they allowed the fifth fewest points in the league that season.
Kendricks remained a solid starter in Minnesota in the following years, but especially during 2022, he took a considerable step back in terms of performance. Considering the Vikings had to free up over $24 million in cap space in order to become cap compliant by free agency, and Kendricks was due $11.43 million in 2023, his name was often one to come up as a potential cap casualty.
Thus, the Vikings opted to part ways with the veteran on March 6th of last year, and Kendricks opted to do a bit of a homecoming tour by heading to Los Angeles.
Kendricks had a solid season in LA this past year, recording 79 tackles, seven tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, six passes defended, and a forced fumble over the course of 15 games. However, the Chargers finished the year with a disappointing 5-12 record, in part due to Justin Herbert’s season-ending finger injury in December.
The 32-year-old defender now will hit the open market for the second offseason in a row. Free agency officially begins on March 13th with the legal tampering period getting started two days earlier on March 11th.
A number of teams could be potential suitors for Kendricks’ services, including that of his former boss, Mike Zimmer, who was hired to be the Dallas Cowboys’ defensive coordinator for this year.
Editor’s Note: Statistics for this article were found via Pro Football Reference.
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Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.