Ahead of Thanksgiving, the San Francisco 49ers decided to make a move to address the defense, bringing in veteran linebacker Eric Kendricks to help shoulder the load heading into the final four regular-season games of the 2025 campaign.
After a successful stint with the Minnesota Vikings from 2015 to 2022, Kendricks has bounced around the league a bit. He had short stints with the Los Angeles Chargers and Dallas Cowboys, and now is suiting up for the 49ers, with hopes of helping the storied franchise clinch a playoff spot.
Eric Kendricks Reveals Why He Signed With 49ers
In 2024, Kendricks agreed to a one-year deal with the 49ers to help bolster the team’s defense. However, he backed out of that deal and chose to sign with the Cowboys instead.
Now things have come full circle for the 33-year-old linebacker, as he joins San Francisco for the final four games of the regular season. Kendricks recently revealed why he chose to sign with the 49ers as a free agent this time around.
“I just wanted to do what felt right, and a lot of things didn’t feel right, so I just waited,” Kendricks said during his media availability in the locker room on Tuesday via NBC Sports Bay Area. “I’ve always respected the organization, the coaching staff and the way they play defense, when I got an opportunity to be part of the team, I took it.”
Kendricks joins the 49ers at an ideal time, with San Francisco having won three straight games while sporting a 9-4 record, which is impressive considering the number of injuries to key players, most notably Fred Warner and Nick Bosa, the team has suffered this season.
Kendricks Impressed With 49ers’ ‘Next-Man-Up’ Mentality
Along with the respect for the storied 49ers franchise, Kendricks also chimed in on the injuries that have piled up for San Francisco this season and how it has been impressive that the team has been able to endure and win nine games.
“I’ve watched everybody kind of step up and the way they’ve responded,” Kendricks said. “It was inspiring to watch, through all the adversity they’ve faced, they seem to just like to fight.”
Warner and Bosa going down was incredibly costly to the team’s defense for obvious reasons, but the team also dealt with not having star quarterback Brock Purdy for six games, which many believed at the time would derail the season for the 49ers. However, backup quarterback Mac Jones played better than expected, allowing the team to stay afloat and remain among the best teams in the NFC. Unfortunately for San Francisco, the team plays in the NFC West division, which has been easily the most competitive division in the league during the 2025 campaign, with the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks sporting identical 10-3 records heading into Week 14. The NFC West could potentially have three teams playoff-bound while the Arizona Cardinals (3-10) focus on the 2026 NFL Draft and the uncertain future of star quarterback Kyler Murray.