Linebacker Eric Kendricks, who was originally expected to sign a one-year contract with the San Francisco 49ers, decided at the last minute to sign with the Dallas Cowboys, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Todd Archer of ESPN reports that Kendricks has signed a one-year contract with Dallas. The decision was made as Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, who worked with Kendricks as a coach from 2015 to 2021 in the Minnesota Vikings, eagerly pursued the former Pro Bowler to strengthen the defensive line for the organization. Kendricks, on the other hand, told Schefter that he would rather play in Dallas, according to sources.
Following Leighton Vander Esch’s neck injury and DeMarvion Overshown’s knee injury during training camp, the Cowboys faced a major hole at linebacker, which converted safety Markquese Bell filled.
Even though it’s expected that Vander Esch will retire in the next few weeks, Kendricks’ presence gives Dallas an experienced player who is acquainted with Zimmer’s defensive scheme. Kendricks is renowned for his reliability; in his nine-year career, he has registered over 100 tackles in all but one season.
As part of salary cap revisions, Kendricks was released by the Los Angeles Chargers on March 5. He was a captain of the team the previous season and recorded 117 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and a forced fumble.
Before being cut by the Vikings during the 2022 offseason, Kendricks, a second-round selection in the 2015 NFL Draft, played with the team for eight seasons. Kendricks recorded 137 tackles in 17 games during his final season with Minnesota, which led to Pro Bowl selection and first-team All-Pro recognition in 2019. In 132 games over the course of his career, he has accumulated 1,036 tackles and 18.5 sacks, starting 127 of them.
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