Eric Kendricks Rides Again
The 2010s Vikings were first dominated by Adrian Peterson, the MVP rusher, and later by Mike Zimmer’s outstanding defensive units. He built a collection of Pro Bowl talent, headlined by Anthony Barr, Harrison Smith, Everson Griffen, Linval Joseph, Xavier Rhodes, Danielle Hunter, and Eric Kendricks.
Eric Kendricks Rides Again
Most of those guys enjoy their retirements, but some are still going strong. Smith is still patrolling Minnesota’s defense, and Hunter is on pace to make another Pro Bowl roster in Houston.
For most of the season, it looked like Kendricks was done with his NFL life, but he has just found a new employer. He might play a key role down the stretch and contribute to the playoff push. This week, he was added to San Francisco’s practice squad, the 49ers announced.
Their problem is the fact that they are running out of linebackers. Fred Warner, their all-world linebacker, suffered a season-ending injury last month, and Tatum Bethune has recently been sidelined, too. Warner’s long-time running-mate, Dre Greenlaw, left for Denver a while ago.
When Greenlaw left in 2024, the 49ers wanted Kendricks and the reports suggested he would go there. Well, Mike Zimmer coordinated the Cowboys and he lured his former player to Dallas.
Kyle Posey of Niners Nation wrote, “The 49ers got away with playing Curtis Robinson against the Carolina Panthers. Robinson struggled, to say the least. He missed the most tackles on the team, and was fortunate that some of those didn’t result in bigger plays. There was enough on film to warrant a change. The problem is, with Tatum Bethune still sidelined, there are no other options. Not until Kendricks, anyway. We’ll see how quickly Kendricks can get up to speed. You have to think that there’s a reason Kendricks remains available a day before Thanksgiving.”
Sure, the age of 33 and sitting out the entire season up to this point aren’t the best selling points for Minnesota’s former tackle demon. Still, just last year, Kendricks racked up 138 tackles and three sacks for the Cowboys — in only 15 games. With the regime change, Dallas didn’t re-sign him and he hasn’t joined a team until Thanksgiving.
Posey is convinced the new defender will make an impact sooner rather than later, “But his experience could help accelerate the learning curve, and, at least from a talent perspective, it shouldn’t be long to realize what Kendricks brings to the table over Robinson, provided he’s not completely washed as an athlete.”
Being “washed” is indeed a problem that age-33 athletes can have. Given there are only a few games left, Kendricks’ nine-year streak of registering at least 100 tackles will come to an end. His only year without 100 tackles was his rookie year in 2015, when he still tabulated 92 in only 14 games and 11 starts.
Posey concluded, “What will be interesting is to see what happens once Bethune returns. Bethune is an excellent run defender, but pass coverage hasn’t been his strongest suit. If Kendricks can add something to the 49ers’ passing defense, this could prove to be a sneaky good signing.”
The 49ers are on pace to make a playoff trip despite having to fight the injury curse. Quarterback Brock Purdy has missed the majority of the season, while star defenders Nick Bosa and Fred Warner are on IR.
Kendricks played eight seasons in purple, securing nine interceptions, 919 tackles, and 15 sacks. The former second-rounder was axed in the 2023 offseason and played with the Chargers in 2023 and the Cowboys in 2024.
Expect him to be a gameday elevation for the 49ers as soon as this weekend against the Cleveland Browns.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.