Eric Kendricks’ tenure with the 49ers may be the shortest in history.
After initially agreeing to a one-year deal with the Niners, Kendricks changed his mind and jumped ship to join the Cowboys. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. on wednesday.
The deal with Dallas is also a one-year deal that reunites Kendricks with Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, who he coached in Minnesota from 2015 to 2021, according to the paper.
But interestingly, Kendricks told the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Zimmer had a “fear-based” coaching style, which linebackers were happy to avoid, he said.
Considering Schefter reported that Kendricks wanted to go to the Cowboys, that suggests his opinion of Zimmer may have changed since he was fired as the Vikings’ head coach in 2022. It seems so.
Kendricks spent last season with the Chargers, where he was a captain and finished second with 117 tackles.
He also had 3.5 sacks and a forced fumble, and had eight consecutive seasons with at least 100 tackles.
However, Los Angeles had to cut him in March due to salary cap issues after signing him to a two-year, $13.25 million contract before the 2023 season.
This move saved the Chargers $6.5 million in salary cap space.
The nine-year NFL veteran spent all but one year of his career with the Vikings, who drafted him in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft.
Kendricks developed into one of the NFL’s best linebackers during his time in Minnesota, earning a Pro Bowl and All-Pro selection in 2019.
He was released by Minnesota after the 2022 campaign.
Kendricks would have been insurance for the 49ers in case Dre Greenlaw ruptured his Achilles tendon in the Super Bowl and was out earlier this year.
