The San Francisco 49ers have signed linebacker Eric Kendricks to the team's practice squad and released linebacker Stone Blanton from the practice squad.
Fans might remember that Kendricks backed out of an agreement to join the 49ers last year, instead choosing to join the Dallas Cowboys in free agency.
"I think I would've taken more of a reserved role [in San Francisco], whereas I feel I have a lot left to give, and I wanted to be here [in Dallas] and be middle linebacker," Kendricks explained last year. "I wanted to share my experience with the team, share my leadership abilities, and command that huddle."
The 49ers Communications staff provided the following rundown.
Kendricks (6-0, 232) was originally drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the second round (45th overall) of the 2015 NFL Draft. Throughout his 10-year career with the Vikings (2015-22), Los Angeles Chargers (2023), and Dallas Cowboys (2024), he has appeared in 147 games (142 starts) where he registered 1,174 tackles, 21.5 sacks, 11 interceptions (two returned for touchdowns), 60 passes defensed, eight forced fumbles, and seven fumble recoveries. He has also appeared in six postseason contests (six starts), tallying 43 tackles, seven passes defensed, 1.0 sack, and one interception. In 2024, Kendricks started all 15 games he played for the Cowboys, recording 138 tackles, 3.0 sacks, three passes defensed, two interceptions, and one fumble recovery.
A 33-year-old native of Clovis, CA, Kendricks attended UCLA for five years (2010-14), where he appeared in 38 games and registered 405 tackles, 13 passes defensed, 8.0 sacks, five interceptions with one he returned for a touchdown, four forced fumbles, and four fumble recoveries.
Blanton (6-1, 227) signed to the team's practice squad on November 19, 2025.