Eric Kendricks, Garrett Wallow provide huge defensive boost in 49ers Wild Card win

Few people gave the San Francisco 49ers much of a chance in their Wild Card matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. That was largely because the team had been decimated by so many injuries, particularly on defense.

In order for them to pull off the improbable, the 49ers needed contributions from some unexpected places. They got exactly that from linebackers Eric Kendricks and Garret Wallow, who started in a pinch and wound up giving clutch performances to remember.

The 49ers had already been struggling with injuries at linebacker coming into last week's game against the Seattle Seahawks due to the season-ending ankle injury to All-Pro and team leader Fred Warner. But when they lost current starting linebackers Dee Winters and Tatum Bethune as well as backup linebacker Luke Gifford to injuries in the season-ending loss to the Seahawks, they called upon Kendricks and Wallow, neither of whom had been with the team for more than a few weeks.

Wallow joined the 49ers in early December after being waived by the Denver Broncos, while Kendricks joined the practice squad in November before joining the active roster last week. The two of them looked like they had been with the team for years on Sunday, totaling a combined 21 tackles and two tackles for loss while Kendricks batted away the final pass on the Eagles' last drive to seal the 23-19 win.

"Stuff like that is unbelievable," running back Christian McCaffrey said. "I think it's a testament to the room, the coaching, the system, to be able to come in here not even a month ago and not just play but play well is a huge deal. So proud of those guys and respect the hell out of the fact that they came in here and made a lot of plays."

It wasn't known for sure how Kendricks and Wallow would perform when they got the starting nod, but there was optimism on Kyle Shanahan's end. He saw the preparation each player had coming into the game, and he knew from years of coaching against Kendricks that there was a good chance the veteran would deliver.

"I've gone against Eric so much in my life, and I remember saying it at the beginning of the week on Wednesday and to the whole team," Shanahan said. "I was like, 'Guys, I don't really know Eric that well, but I've been going against him on the silent tape forever, and that's why I feel like I do know him. And from going against him, I promise you guys this guy's going to be ready. It was just a vibe we've always had playing against him our whole career, and that's how he handled this whole week. And he looked kind of like what I've seen going against him my whole career. He looked like that tonight. Just how he drops in the hooks, I think he's always a problem for quarterbacks. Looked like he knocked that ball down at the end.

"Then Garret too. Garret was huge. I haven't gone against Garret very much, but since he got here and played on our team's start, he hopped in at linebacker last week. I don't think they just stepped up and got through the game. I think they played at a high level, so it was really cool."

While the 26-year-old Wallow has been a bit of a journeyman in his NFL career, playing with four teams since joining the league as a fifth-round draft pick of the Houston Texans in 2021, the 33-year-old Kendricks is a name many NFL fans know well. Kendricks has been in the NFL since 2015, with most of those years coming as a mainstay starter with the Minnesota Vikings. He spent the 2024 season with the Dallas Cowboys, signing with them despite verbally agreeing to a contract with the 49ers in the offseason. He played 15 games with the Cowboys in 2024 but had been without a team this year before joining the 49ers' practice squad in late November. When he gave the 49ers a closer look, he knew it was the place he needed to be, even though it meant taking on unfamiliar roles.

"Nothing felt too right until I got here and you know I got in the locker room with all the leaders that this team has, it just made the most sense," said Kendricks, who spoke with reporters after the win in Philadelphia. "And I feel like I fit in with the guys right away. I was willing to take a role that I had never taken before, playing in different positions that I never played before, playing special teams.

"It was easy because everybody on this team is so unselfish. So it was just easy for me to come in and check my ego at the door and just get it done for the team to win."

Kendricks, who took Bethune's place as the signal caller on defense, gave praise to Wallow after the game, as well as defensive quality control coach and former Seahawks linebacker K.J. Wright, who helped Kendricks learn the 49ers' system in a hurry,

"I haven't won in Philly in a while, so it feels good for the soul, obviously under the circumstances," Kendricks said. "I gotta give a shout out to Garret Wallow. He was excellent in communication. I always judge other linebackers based on when things are super thick and things aren't going our way, how well you're able to communicate and how well you're able to stay calm. He checked those boxes, so shout out to him."

Kendricks added, "KJ Wright, I've been in kind of just knocking on his meeting door, getting extra time with him since I got here. So whether it's super early in the morning or after meetings, I feel like he's gotten me prepared. We went through a bunch of situations, watched a bunch of film together. He's got stamina as a coach. Obviously we know what kind of player he was, but it's been nice to bounce my old playbook off him and kind of compare it to this new one."

While Kendricks was clearly upbeat after the game, he was a little disappointed that he didn't intercept the final pass from quarterback Jalen Hurts that he was able to knock away on a fourth down play. The outcome was what the 49ers were hoping for anyway.

"I wish I would have picked it off," Kendricks said. "I should have picked it off. I usually do that, but I was happy that I was able to make the play and get from hash to hash on that one."

The performances from Wallow and Kendricks spark optimism heading into the Divisional Round game in Seattle for a linebacking unit that had become an unknown after the injuries last week. As long as they stay healthy, they give the 49ers two experienced and fresh bodies they can apparently rely on at the position.

"I feel like last year I was super hurt," Kendricks said. "I was super hurt all year, was dealing with my shoulder. I didn't realize how much it was affecting me until I think the first game this year and being able to use it again. But, yeah, I feel great."

And Kendricks in particular sounds all-in on this team's chances, despite the fact their odds may still seem long on paper.

"From the outside looking in, I think it may look super unlikely, but being in the building for the last month and some change now, it's not. It's not a question by me of why we're in the situation we're in, you know what I mean? I believe in this team."