While most of his Minnesota Vikings teammates got a nice long break during their bye week, rookie linebacker Eric Kendricks got a promotion.
The Vikings decided to trade starting middle linebacker Gerald Hodges to San Francisco last week for a backup offensive lineman and a late-round draft pick. The move opened a spot for Kendricks, a second-round draft pick out of UCLA.
Coach Mike Zimmer says Kendricks has been playing like a starter for several weeks.
Kendricks says he doesn’t see the move as a vote of confidence. He spent extra time over the bye week making sure he was prepared for the increased responsibility.
The Vikings host the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.
