Sometimes it is confusing why a player isn't getting an opportunity in the NFL. That is the case with former Minnesota Vikings linebacker Eric Kendricks this season. On the surface, there is no reason he shouldn't be on a team's roster.
Despite a large number of injuries around the league and the need for depth on many teams, Kendricks was not signed to a team for the 2025 NFL season. However, that situation has changed for the former Vikings defender.
Former Minnesota Vikings linebacker Eric Kendricks has signed with the San Francisco 49ers practice squad
On Wednesday, NFL insider Adam Schefter shared on X that veteran linebacker Eric Kendricks has signed with the San Francisco 49ers to be on their practice squad.
49ers signed veteran LB Eric Kendricks to their practice squad. pic.twitter.com/hNy3AlYu6V
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 26, 2025
A second-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings in the 2015 NFL Draft, Eric Kendricks spent eight seasons with the purple and gold, where he started 113 games and accumulated 919 combined tackles.
After that, he spent one season with the Chargers and another with the Cowboys. However, he was not brought back to Dallas despite being one of the defense's few bright spots by notching 138 combined tackles.
Now 33 years old, Kendricks spent the first 12 weeks of this season unsigned. Although he was highly amusing on social media, there is nothing like playing the game that made him an All-Pro in 2019.
These days, the practice squad is mostly used as a stepping stone for some veteran players. Those players can use their time there to get back to NFL speed before being brought up to the 53-man roster.
The 49ers could really use the help at linebacker. Injuries to Fred Warner and Tatum Bethune have made finding a quality player at the position a priority. San Francisco was fortunate to have an established veteran like Eric Kendricks available in free agency.
San Francisco travels to Cleveland to take on the Browns on Sunday. There is no word yet on whether Kendricks is expected to be called up for that game, but he could definitely help the team at a position where they are struggling.
This is a great opportunity for Kendricks to prove that he hasn't lost a step since his big year in Dallas. The former Minnesota Vikings defender is a quality linebacker who spent far too long in free agency, and, surprisingly, the veteran linebacker lasted this long for the 49ers to scoop him up.