Speaking to reporters on Monday, Kendricks reflected on the extra time he had to watch football while waiting for the right opportunity in the 2025 season.
"I'm here now, so it's just kind of full circle," Kendricks said.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan revealed a couple of weeks ago that the 49ers maintained regular contact with Kendricks throughout the season.
"I know he had other options throughout the year, but the timing was right for him, and we've been wanting him on board, so we were pumped that he wanted to come," Shanahan said.
From afar, Kendricks was impressed by the 49ers' resilience. Despite dealing with multiple key injuries, the team has remained a strong postseason contender. Now that he is part of the roster, Kendricks fully understands why the 49ers have been so successful despite facing several challenges.
"This team, what's special, even with all the adversity they faced, they seem to just fight," Kendricks said. "It was inspiring to watch. Now that I come in the building, it's really not a secret of why they've had the success they've had, because it's a great organization, top down."
Ultimately, Kendricks said he trusted his instincts when deciding where he would fit best, and the 49ers felt right.
"It was just more of a feeling-type thing, and I feel like there's a lot of factors that come involved with that," he said. "But just what felt right at the end of the day."
Having another experienced defender on the roster should help the 49ers prove their skeptics wrong in the postseason.
Related News
More San Francisco 49ers News
-
49ers reveal why Chris Foerster was chosen as interim head coach
San Francisco 49ers assistant head coach and offensive line coach Chris Foerster will step into the lead role as interim head coach while Kyle Shanahan recovers from injuries sustained in a recent car accident. Speaking to reporters on Saturday, general manager John Lynch... -
49ers culture shines as Kyle Shanahan recovers from injury
On July 14, San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan had a bad car accident that left him unable to coach the team at the start of training camp. Shanahan's life was not in danger, but his severe concussion must heal before he can return. This tells us something about the... -
49ers have learned to keep secrets, but is this a good thing?
For years, the San Francisco 49ers had a reputation for being one of the easiest NFL teams to get information from. Not because the team was particularly transparent, but because information seemed to find its way out of the building. That changed in 2017. Since Kyle Shanahan... -
49ers' Trent Williams embraces final NFL chapter, savoring every training camp moment
San Francisco 49ers left tackle Trent Williams made it clear that his current contract, which runs through the 2027 season, will likely be the final deal of his illustrious NFL career. Speaking to reporters after the 49ers' first training camp practice on Sunday, Williams was...