On March 6 (UPI), The Minnesota Vikings announced on Monday morning that they had released veteran linebacker Eric Kendricks, ending his eight-year association with the organization.
In the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft, the Vikings selected Kendricks, a 2019 All-Pro. He made a total of 137 tackles in all. in 17 starts the previous year.
Eric leaves a strong, long-lasting legacy inside our organization and the Minnesota community, according to Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, who also served as team captain and a nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award.
The deal will enable the Vikings to reduce their salary cap expenditure by $9.5 million. In 2018, Kendricks extended his deal for a further five years and $50 million.
In 117 career games for the Vikings, Kendricks, 31, amassed 919 total tackles, 54 tackles for a loss, 51 passes defensed, 15 sacks, 9 interceptions, 6 fumble recoveries, 4 forced fumbles, and 2 touchdowns. In 15 starts in 2021–2022, he recorded a career-high 143 combined tackles and five sacks.
Eric has been a mainstay in the locker room ever since he entered the NFL, according to Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell. “It is exceedingly difficult to start more than 100 games in this league,” O’Connell said.
