The San Francisco 49ers are bolstering their linebacker corps by signing Eric Kendricks to a one-year deal. Kendricks joins the team as Dre Greenlaw recovers from a torn Achilles suffered in the Super Bowl, while Oren Burks and Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles are set to become free agents.
Thirteen months ago, ahead of Super Bowl 57, Kendricks spoke with NBC Sports Bay Area at Radio Row in Arizona about the 49ers. Having just finished his final season with the Minnesota Vikings, Kendricks had practiced against the Bay Area squad ahead of their preseason match in August 2022.
RELATED 49ers signing Eric Kendricks to a 1-year deal
"Oh, man, they're flying around," Kendricks said of the 49ers defense. "They've got a bunch of great players, obviously, but it's a mindset. Like I said, we practiced against them. It's definitely a mindset."
There was one player who stood out to Kendricks, a leader who sets the tone for the entire 49ers defense—star linebacker Fred Warner.
"Man, obviously you gotta watch my boy Fred, you know what I mean?" Kendricks stated. "He's spastic, you know what I mean? He might jump over somebody. He might knock a lineman down, trip, fall up, get up, make a tackle. It's pretty relentless."
RELATED 5 things to know about Eric Kendricks
Continuing to discuss Warner, Kendricks commented, "I'm not even going to talk about his play or anything like that. I think it's his attitude, his attitude towards things. I think it's infectious for the whole defense. ... Those guys are just fun to watch."
Now, Kendricks and Warner are teammates as he joins a 49ers team aiming to rebound from a gut-wrenching overtime Super Bowl defeat last month.