The San Francisco 49ers have officially added veteran linebacker Eric Kendricks to their roster, over a year after he initially backed out of a deal to join the team and instead signed with the Dallas Cowboys. Now, both sides have moved past that decision, and Kendricks is eager to contribute to the 49ers' playoff push.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Kendricks reflected on the extra time he had to watch football while waiting for the right opportunity in the 2025 season.
"I'm here now, so it's just kind of full circle," Kendricks said.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan revealed a couple of weeks ago that the 49ers maintained regular contact with Kendricks throughout the season.
"I know he had other options throughout the year, but the timing was right for him, and we've been wanting him on board, so we were pumped that he wanted to come," Shanahan said.
From afar, Kendricks was impressed by the 49ers' resilience. Despite dealing with multiple key injuries, the team has remained a strong postseason contender. Now that he is part of the roster, Kendricks fully understands why the 49ers have been so successful despite facing several challenges.
"This team, what's special, even with all the adversity they faced, they seem to just fight," Kendricks said. "It was inspiring to watch. Now that I come in the building, it's really not a secret of why they've had the success they've had, because it's a great organization, top down."
Ultimately, Kendricks said he trusted his instincts when deciding where he would fit best, and the 49ers felt right.
"It was just more of a feeling-type thing, and I feel like there's a lot of factors that come involved with that," he said. "But just what felt right at the end of the day."
Having another experienced defender on the roster should help the 49ers prove their skeptics wrong in the postseason.