Aloha, Skoloholics! The off-season team dismantling/rebuilding has begun. According to Tom Pelissero, the Vikings are to release LB Eric Kendricks today.
This will come as no surprise to most Vikings fans, as the team is in a situation where they MUST get younger on defense. The defense has been nothing short of abysmal since 2020, ranking at or near the bottom of the NFL in many defensive statistical categories. 2020 and 2021 saw the team, especially the defense, get hit hard by injuries, so there was hope that the unit could turn it around. Last year, they stayed healthy, and they were possibly worse than they had been in the two previous years.
Eric Kendricks is 31 years old. The linebacker was drafted by the Vikings in the 2nd round of the 2015 draft, and became a starter early in his rookie season. Since coming to Minnesota, Kendricks has been a class act and a solid player. He’s played at a high level consistently, up until age started to catch up with him. He’s been just as solid, or even more solid, off the field, as he is very active in his community. He earned is degree in political science from UCLA, works with youth at the Hennepin County Correctional Center, and does a lot of other work in the community.
Award/Honors
According to Kendricks’ bio page on the team site, he’s accumulated the following honors in his career thus far:
- Named Vikings 2020 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominee.
- Earned AP 1st-Team All-Pro honors in 2019.
- Named to his 1st career Pro Bowl in 2019.
- Recognized as Vikings Defensive MVP for 2019 as part of MN Football Honors program.
- NFC Defensive Player of the Week at Tennessee (9/11/16).
- Named to PFWA All-Rookie Team for 2015.
- Earned NFC Defensive Rookie of the Month for October 2015.
It’s time to make some changes, and here we go. I actually expected the team to find a trade partner for Kendricks, but I guess age has caught up to the long-time Viking, and the team felt it was best to just release him and allow him to try to find another team. All the best to Kendricks as he moves on to the twilight of his career, hopefully he will come back to retire a Viking some day. SKOL!
I hate this team.
zero percent kidding.