Eric Kendricks, a 49ers close to signing, abruptly left for the Cowboys
That was enjoyable while it lasted, isn’t it? The 49ers attempted to sign some insurance for injured linebacker Dre Greenlaw, who suffered a torn Achilles tendon in the Super Bowl, as part of their efforts to revamp their front end of defense during the first few official days of the NFL offseason. With the signing of Chargers captain and former All-Pro Eric Kendricks, they achieved a significant victory in that regard.
According to Pro Football Focus, Kendricks had the best grade of any player the 49ers had acquired, coming in at 72.3.
After that, everything went crazy. When it came time to sign a formal contract, late on Wednesday afternoon, Kendricks changed his mind and signed with the Dallas Cowboys instead. Mike Zimmer, who had coached Kendricks for seven seasons while both players were in Minnesota, is the new defensive coordinator there.
“Another change of heart: after agreeing to a deal with the 49ers, former Chargers and Vikings LB Eric Kendricks has decided to go to the Dallas Cowboys instead, per sources,” tweeted ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Mike Zimmer desired that Kendricks assist in managing his defense, and the player had a preference to play in Dallas.
Eric Kendricks Getting a Bigger Role With Cowboys
There had been rumors that Kendricks might sign with Dallas and rejoin Zimmer before he had signed with the 49ers. Rather, it appeared like he was ready to travel to San Francisco and rejoin defensive assistant Brandon Staley, who had coached Kendricks during the previous season with the Chargers. But Kendricks found the chance to play a larger role in Dallas and his acquaintance with Zimmer to be too alluring to resist.
Kendricks’ role with the 49ers would have been unclear. If Greenlaw hadn’t been ready to start the season, which seems likely, he would have been a starter. Considering how doubtful it was that he would recover from an Achilles injury, it’s also plausible that he would have started the entire game. Greenlaw may miss the entire upcoming season.
In any case, 49ers great linebacker Fred Warner would have been the starting quarterback over Kendricks. Without a doubt, Kendricks will be the focal point of a Dallas squad that is in desperate need of linebacker support.
Throughout his nine seasons (eight with Minnesota), Kendricks has been a reliable player. He has exceeded 100 tackles in eight of those seasons. His best season came in 2019, when he was awarded an All-Pro and Pro Bowler, excelled in coverage with 12 passes defended.
Over the past four seasons, Kendricks has been among the league’s most reliable linebackers, as noted by Pro Football Focus on Twitter and X. “Eric Kendricks: 72.1 PFF Grade since 2020 13th among all LBs during that time,” the website stated.
