This offseason, Eric Kendricks was set to sign with the 49ers, but he ultimately decided to sign with the Cowboys instead. The process brought the veteran linebacker back together with Mike Zimmer, which played a role in his signing with Dallas.
According to Dallas Morning News reporter Calvin Watkins, Kendricks remarked, “Yeah absolutely, I always appreciated Zim.” “Just how much defense I picked up while working behind him. I learned a lot from Zim about how to watch films, tear things down, install things, and we had some great years together. I can’t wait to keep doing that.
After the 2021 season, Zimmer was sacked from his position as head coach of the Vikings. He was fired, along with general manager Rick Spielman, after rumors that the duo and the players were at odds. It was under Zimmer’s “culture of fear” that Kendricks himself publicly bemoaned. The latter took a two-season hiatus from coaching before accepting the Cowboys’ Washington position.
Zimmer will be expected to continue the defensive success Dallas enjoyed under Dan Quinn, who led the team to a no-lower than seventh-place finish in points allowed in the previous three seasons. However, there are several unanswered questions at linebacker heading into 2024, and Kendricks should start there. The 32-year-old turned down a short-term contract to join the Cowboys’ first team in San Francisco in favor of a more lucrative opportunity.
During his eight years in Minnesota, Kendricks started 127 games.
In 2019, he was selected to the Pro Bowl and received first-team All-Pro recognition. Since then, he has logged at least 107 tackles in every season. The former UCLA player will get a lot of action in a linebacker corps that is without the retiring Leighton Vander Esch. As an accomplished producer working with artists like Damone Clark, DeMarvion Overshown, and Marist Liufau, Dallas will rely on Kendricks. By now, every possible friction with Zimmer has been resolved.
“I totally respect him,” Kendricks continued. “We are going to initiate this process. We had a conversation over the weekend. We’re thrilled about the chance to collaborate once more and benefit from one another.
