Vikings release Eric Kendricks after 8 seasons

The Minnesota Vikings are cutting veteran linebacker Eric Kendricks after eight seasons, the team announced Monday.

Releasing Kendricks will save the Vikings $9.5 million in cap space, according to Over The Cap. He was set to enter the final season of a five-year, $50-million contract.

Kendricks has been a starter for the Vikings since being drafted in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft. He's totalled 117 appearances and 113 starts with the team.

The 31-year-old recorded 137 tackles in 2022, his seventh consecutive season with 100-plus tackles. The veteran also earned an All-Pro nod and Pro Bowl invite for his play in the 2019 campaign.