The San Francisco 49ers added an interesting piece to their practice squad during their bye week with former All-Pro linebacker Eric Kendricks.

Kendricks gives San Francisco some very experienced internal depth at a position where injuries are mounting and experience is running thin. Monday the team had a bonus practice and reporters got a chance to speak with Kendricks for the first time since he joined the club.

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While the potential for playing time likely helped Kendricks’ decision to sign with the 49ers, he pointed out something he observed about the club while watching from afar that enticed him to head to the Bay Area.

“This team was special,” Kendricks said according to ESPN’s Nick Wagoner. “Even with all the adversity they faced, they seem to just fight. And it was inspiring to watch.”

Part of that adversity was the loss of middle linebacker Fred Warner, who the 49ers wanted to pair with Kendricks last offseason before Kendricks backed out of their deal and joined the Dallas Cowboys. Their issues at LB compounded when second-year LB Tatum Bethune went down with a high ankle sprain while replacing Warner. That pushed third-string MLB and career special teams contributor Curtis Robinson into the fold.

Robinson hasn’t been great in the middle of the 49ers’ defense, and with the options behind him thin, it made sense the 49ers would want a player like Kendricks in the building in time for a week off where he could get familiar with the team’s defense and its playbook. There’s a chance if Kendricks is able to get up to speed by Week 15 that he could be elevated to the active roster and a defensive contributor right away.

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The team fought hard to get to 9-4 and overcome a string of adversity, now a player like Kendricks could be a key factor in helping them not only get to the postseason, but to make an unexpected run in January.

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This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Eric Kendricks explains why he joined ‘special’ San Francisco 49ers