Veteran LB Mychal Kendricks Set to Visit Seahawks
Though the Seahawks will finally meet with Damon Harrison on Tuesday, he won't be the only notable veteran at the team facility.
According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, Seattle will host linebacker Mychal Kendricks on a free agent visit, potentially opening the door for a reunion after the veteran defender spent the past two seasons in the Pacific Northwest.
Kendricks, 30, spent the offseason rehabbing from a torn ACL, which he suffered in the Seahawks regular season finale against the 49ers last December. He started 14 games at strongside linebacker for the team in 2019, producing 71 tackles, 3.0 sacks, and an interception before landing on injured reserve.
In eight NFL seasons, Kendricks has started 91 games for the Eagles and Seahawks, amassing 548 tackles, 19.0 sacks, four interceptions, and 52 tackles for loss.
Back in mid-July, it was reported Kendricks had been cleared for football activities seven months after reconstructive knee surgery. But despite working out for the Raiders in mid-August, the two sides couldn't agree on a contract and he's remained unsigned through the first month of the regular season.
It's also worth noting after multiple postponements that Kendricks is scheduled to be sentenced for insider trading charges next Wednesday, October 14, a factor that has also played into interest from prospective teams.
On the surface, Seattle's interest in re-signing Kendricks is a bit surprising. Even after losing Bruce Irvin for the season to a torn ACL in Week 2, the team still has plenty of depth at the position, as Cody Barton played extensive snaps at weakside linebacker in Sunday's win over Miami.
However, bringing Kendricks back in for a visit may be a signal that rookie linebacker Jordyn Brooks may have a more significant knee injury than originally suspected and could potentially be heading to injured reserve. The first-round pick out of Texas Tech exited a Week 3 win over the Cowboys with a knee sprain and did not play last weekend.
When asked for an update on Brooks' status on Monday, coach Pete Carroll didn't have any new information on his status.
It's also possible the Seahawks are taking another look at Kendricks because of concerns with Barton's performance this past weekend. Though he made a key pass deflection that led to an interception for safety Ryan Neal, the second-year defender missed multiple tackles and received a lukewarm assessment from Carroll on Monday.
"I think he missed a couple tackles he won't miss in other games," Carroll said. "I think he'll feel comfortable about making the plays. Very heady football player and I think he just needs to settle in and zero in and he'll do fine."
As illustrated by the fact Seattle brought in former starting center Justin Britt twice for free agent visits and ultimately didn't re-sign him, it's not a slam dunk Kendricks will return. But if Brooks isn't poised to return soon and/or the team's confidence in Barton has wavered, the veteran has always been held in high regard by Carroll and could immediately jump back into the lineup as the team's primary strongside linebacker.
