It's that time of year when teams like the Minnesota Vikings bring in the best possible group of players for training camp to assemble a 53-man roster that can be ready for the 17-game regular season.
Some teams have different priorities. While some may value youth and potential others may want a more established player to raise the floor of the range of talent available within a particular position group.
Although there are several former Vikings players still looking for a team during the 2025 NFL team, there is one player who should be on a team's training camp roster right now but hasn't received that invitation.
Former Minnesota Vikings linebacker Eric Kendricks should be on a training camp roster for the 2025 NFL season.
Eric Kendricks is 33 years old, but he still has plenty to give to a team looking for help in their linebacker group. He spent eight seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, where he earned a Pro Bowl nod and was named to the All-Pro First Team.
After his time with the Vikings, Kendricks played in 15 games for the Chargers, starting 14 of those games. He had his eighth straight year with over 100 tackles but exited Los Angeles to play for the Cowboys in 2024,
Last season, Kendricks led Dallas in tackles (138) while adding three sacks and two interceptions. Despite a great season, the veteran defender did not return to the Cowboys and is currently a free agent.
Shockingly, a player with his experience and resume remains unsigned by a team. The only reasons for a team not to be interested in bringing Eric Kendricks into training camp are that they already have established starters as interior linebackers or they want to focus on developing younger players instead.
Even a team with a young linebacker they are looking to turn into a starter could use a veteran like Kendricks to show them the ropes and help them navigate the intricacies of playing the position at the NFL level.
It shouldn't be much longer before a team calls up former Minnesota Vikings linebacker Eric Kendricks. Perhaps teams don't need to see anything more from him, so they are waiting until after training camp to bring him in. If not, those teams struggling to find middle linebacker help could end up looking silly for not seeing how he fits with their team.