Eric Kendricks Finds New NFL Home
Eric Kendricks served as an All-Pro linebacker for the Minnesota Vikings in 2019, and since taking his services on the road after the 2022 campaign, he has spent time with the Los Angeles Chargers, Dallas Cowboys, and now the San Francisco 49ers.
Eric Kendricks has found a new NFL home, landing with a fresh team as the former Vikings linebacker continues his long, productive career.
Kendricks signed with the 49ers’ practice squad this week, just one call-up away from regular season action.
San Francisco has battled a bizarre bevy of injuries. Kendricks is in the house as insurance.
Eric Kendricks to 49ers
The veteran linebacker, alas, has signed with a new team in 2025.
Kendricks + SF = Done Deal
Welcome to San Francisco. NBC Sports‘ Charean Williams wrote Wednesday, “Veteran linebacker Eric Kendricks turned down the Ravens’ practice squad last month. He signed with the 49ers’ practice squad on Wednesday. The 49ers released linebacker Stone Blanton from the practice squad in a corresponding move. Kendricks underwent shoulder surgery this offseason.”
“He started 15 games for the Cowboys last season and had 138 tackles, three sacks, two interceptions, three forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. He played for the Chargers in 2023 and spent his first eight NFL seasons in Minnesota.”
Kendricks turned 34 during the most recent offseason, and many believe that he had one or two seasons left before retirement. The theory was correct; Kendricks is back for the 49ers’ late-season playoff push.
San Francisco’s New Off-Ball LB Room
It’s unclear if Kendricks will be promoted to the gameday roster as soon as this weekend, but here’s a look at San Francisco’s ILB corps:
- Dee Winters
- Renardo Green
- Luke Gifford
- Curtis Robinson
- Nick Martin
- Jalen Graham (Practice Squad)
- Fred Warner (Injured Reserve)
By the looks of that room, Kendricks could see action quite soon.
No to BAL; Yes to SF
It’s worth noting that Kendricks declined a practice squad offer from the Ravens in October. Most assumed that Kendricks felt he deserved a spot on a team’s active roster. However, with the 49ers transaction, Kendricks either caved or had a different reason for signing in San Francisco rather than Baltimore.
Bleacher Report‘s Mike Chiari wrote last month about Kendricks’ refusal to sign with the Ravens, “Kendricks would have provided some much-needed experience and leadership, although it sounds like the Ravens wanted to ease him in rather than placing him directly on the active roster.”
“As teams become more desperate due to injuries over the course of the season, it is possible Kendricks could receive offers to bypass practice squads in the not-too-distant future.”
That prophecy was almost correct.
Kendricks’ MIN Years
Kendricks carved out a heavyweight run in Minnesota. Rick Spielman snagged him in Round 2 of the 2015 draft — the same class that delivered Danielle Hunter and Stefon Diggs — and by the time 2019 rolled around, he’d transformed from a steady young linebacker into a full-force problem for offenses.
That season turned him into a 1st-Team All-Pro and a Pro Bowler, the payoff for a player who took a couple of years to settle in before exploding into one of the most reliable defenders on the roster.
Across eight seasons, Kendricks logged 117 games for the Vikings, starting 113 of them and piling up more than 900 tackles. He added 54 tackles for loss, nine interceptions, and the kind of week-to-week consistency that made him the heartbeat of multiple defenses.
When Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell arrived, they kept him in the building for the 2022 campaign before moving on during the 2023 offseason. Kendricks then took his skill set to the Chargers that fall, followed by a stop with the Cowboys in 2024, extending a career built on veteran experience and dependability.
49ers-Themed Media on Kendricks
Niner Nation‘s Kyle Posey opined on the Kendricks move: “Before the San Francisco 49ers signed De’Vondre Campbell during the 2024 offseason, they wanted veteran Eric Kendricks. In fact, both sides agreed to a deal. The thought was that Kendricks would replace Dre Greenlaw, fresh off tearing his Achilles.”
“Kendricks, now 33, played 15 games last year for the Dallas Cowboys, recording 138 tackles, and registered three sacks and an interception. He has not appeared in a game this season. The 49ers got away with playing Curtis Robinson against the Carolina Panthers. Robinson struggled, to say the least.”
Oddsmakers project San Francisco’s chances of reaching the postseason at 88%.
Posey continued, “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. 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.”
San Francisco travels to Cleveland for a date with the Browns on Sunday and is expected to win by four or five points.
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