Ex-Vikings All-Pro LB Released After One Season With New Team
Former Vikings All-Pro linebacker Eric Kendricks was released by the Chargers on Tuesday after one season with the team. He was signed to a two-year deal last offseason, but this move saves $6.5 million in cap space for Los Angeles.
Kendricks started 14 games for the Chargers in 2023, recording solid box score numbers: 117 tackles, 7 TFL, 3.5 sacks, 6 passes defended, one forced fumble. The 32-year-old also earned his best PFF grade (72.3) since the 2020 season. Despite his productive season, this move isn't too surprising when considering the cap savings for the Chargers and the presence of a new regime. Jim Harbaugh is the new head coach in LA, and he brought along Jesse Minter from Michigan to be his defensive coordinator.
Originally drafted in the second round out of UCLA in 2015, Kendricks spent his first eight seasons with the Vikings. He was a first-team All-Pro after his incredible 2019 season, and he was consistently quite good from 2016-2020 despite only making one Pro Bowl. After his play slipped a bit in 2021 and '22, the Vikings released him last spring. That move worked out just fine, as they got strong play from Jordan Hicks and rookie Ivan Pace Jr. at inside linebacker last season.
Hicks is now a free agent — as are Troy Dye, Anthony Barr, and Nick Vigil — but a reunion with Kendricks in Minnesota seems unlikely. If the Vikings are going to sign a veteran LB, they'd presumably just bring back Hicks for another year or two to play alongside Pace. Brian Asamoah II could also be a factor in his third season if he takes a big step forwards.
Even at 32, Kendricks should still have a solid market to go compete for a starting job somewhere.
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