Eric Kendricks Details How he's Acclimating to the 49ers

The faster Eric Kendricks acclimates himself to the 49ers playbook, the faster he will be able to suit up and play.

Sep 26, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton (86) bobbles the ball as he runs against Dallas Cowboys linebacker Eric Kendricks (50) during the second quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

One player on the San Francisco 49ers who can potentially uplift them a bit is linebacker Eric Kendricks.

The 49ers signed Kendricks to their practice squad a couple of weeks ago. He was a player that they wanted during the 2024 free agency period before he ditched them for the Dallas Cowboys.

Now, Kendricks and the 49ers are together. He is a player who performed at a high level for several years. And while he's not that same player anymore, he can still bring a little boost to the 49ers' defense.

However, that won't happen until he gets himself up to speed with the playbook, which is challenging to do as a linebacker with not much time. On Monday, Kendricks detailed how he's acclimating to the 49ers.

Eric Kendricks details how he's integrating in the playbook

Oct 27, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; after the game San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner (54) and Dallas Cowboys linebacker Eric Kendricks (50) shake hands at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images | Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images

"I feel like it's very similar to my defense with Mike Zimmer all of those years," said Kendricks. "It's a little bit more eyes on the quarterback in a sense. Some of the blitzes are very similar, a lot more memorization for me with terminology and stuff like that. But there is some carryover. On the first day I was like, 'Woah, a lot of new terms. A lot of new words.'"

"But being on four (new) defenses in four years in a row, I kind of realized that first day, I need to go back home, I need to open the playbooks up, I need to see what I know from my old playbooks and fom my new playbook and just kind of compare the two. Once I start making those associations it's kind of all 'Ok, ok.'"

While everyone on the 49ers was relaxing during the Bye Week, Kendricks used it as precious time to catch up. The regular season is nearing it's end with the playoffs steadily approaching.

Kendricks knows it's a prime opportunity for him to step in and be a positive reinforcement. The 49ers' defense desperately needs that. The fast Kendricks acclimates himself to the 49ers' playbook, the fast he can suit up and play.

"It's just football for me," Kendricks said. "I feel like I'm blessed to have been a part of so many teams for so many years, even though it's been really difficult. It's allowed me to learn things really fast."

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