As they look to clear a bunch of cap space before the new league year, the Minnesota Vikings decided to release linebacker Eric Kendricks on Monday.
With the Minnesota Vikings having to clear more than $20 million in cap space before the new league year on March 15th, the team made their first big roster move of the 2023 offseason on Monday when they decided to release longtime linebacker Eric Kendricks. By cutting Kendricks, the Vikings cleared $9.5 million in cap space.
Drafted in the second round by Minnesota in 2015, the veteran linebacker will now have to play for another NFL team in 2023 for the first time in his career.
Minnesota Vikings moving on from Eric Kendricks is tough, but necessary
After quickly becoming a starter during his rookie season, Kendricks was a staple of the Vikings‘ defense for basically his entire career with the franchise.
He played a key role on some of Minnesota’s best defenses during the Mike Zimmer era, and in 2019, he had a career year, as he was voted to the Pro Bowl and he earned a First-Team All-Pro selection.
Unfortunately, his performance declined during the last three seasons, and the Vikings clearly felt that they needed to move on from their longtime linebacker.
Kendricks was everything Minnesota could have hoped for both on the field and off the field during his tenure with the team. Don’t be surprised if he winds up as a member of Minnesota’s Ring of Honor one day.