KSR - NFL Cover Zero: Hard Knocks revealed and 49ers LB Eric Kendricks!

Episode Date: April 1, 2026

Drew Franklin and Billy continue their look at offseason NFL news leading up to the Draft! The NFL has revealed the upcoming Hard Knocks teams.  Drew is surprised and looks forward to the inside scoop from the teams.  We've gotten the yearly coach picture from the NFL Owners meeting, what do you make of all the new faces? Drew was impressed with Mike Vrabel at the Arizona State Pro-Day.  Plus, we hear a visit with 49ers LB Eric Kendricks! We're back next week with Saints safety Justin Reid! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. NFL Cover Zero with Matt Jones and Drew Franklin is a production of the NFL and I-Heart podcast. Welcome in to a new edition of NFL Cover Zero. Drew Franklin here with Billy Rutledge as we continue to look back on that San Francisco trip. Billy, it keeps getting farther, farther away on the calendar, but we don't care. We just have more content to put out and we're still smiling. I've got plenty more to talk about.

And I have not replaced Matt on the show. he's just doing his own thing right now. Just the way that we've lined up these recordings and his vacation time, he will be back. I have not Wally Pipped Matt on this podcast yet. Not yet. You know, we still got a few more to go while Matt's away, but we're having fun time doing these, these short conversations where we hit big news items and set up some of our interviews that lingered from that trip to the Super Bowl.

Today, we'll have our interview with Eric Kendricks played for the 49ers and made one of the plays of the year for the 49ers when he helped seal their victory over the Eagles by breaking up that fourth down pass in the red zone to send them on to the next stage. Didn't reach their ultimate goal, but with a team riddled with injuries, he came in and made a huge play for him and had a big year. And as you'll hear in the interview, wasn't sure where his career was heading before this season. So it's a fun interview, Bill.

Yeah, all-pro guy in Minnesota finds a home in San Francisco and makes a difference. That's another cool part of that. We're just talking to all pro players, you know. And then, you know, talked a little bit about being a big car guy. Drew, could you change your own oil if I asked you to? I can do anything with YouTube. I'm one of those guys. I've fixed a fireplace with YouTube. I've unfortunately had to change my tire more than I wanted. I've had several, well, three or four flats, once on the side of the highway. Hamlet did need help. But oil, I've never given an attempt. I bet I could figure it out, though. What about you? You a car guy? No, no. I will go get it done by somebody else because I'll make the car worse somehow. I'll forget the Johnson Rod or whatever. It's true. Don't forget your Johnson Rod, Billy. That's right. But no, it was fun to hear from him.

And, you know, we still got a couple more after this. So looking forward to hearing it again. That's right. And this one's kind of topical. I don't know if you saw this, but just yesterday, the San Francisco 49ers general manager, John Lynch came out and said that they investigated the conspiracies about that substation leading to injuries, which we talked about with Eric Kendrick's months ago. It's actually a headline today.

Lynch said they looked into it, and it's a big nothing burger. that there are no adverse effects on the players by that big electrical substation next to Levi Stadium. Do you believe him or is that him just trying to push things away? You know, we just talked about him getting your boy Mike Evans. I know you're worried. Yeah, John's my guy, even though he's taken a legend away from Tampa Bay. Maybe he's covering for the training staff, Drew. I mean, you wouldn't want to just have it be their fault.

So, you know, I'm not sure. I guess if he was covering for the training staff, he would have said it was the electrical station's fault. But you can't put that out there either. It's a tough spot. So I probably what we expected the answer to be, but nevertheless, there's still something going on in San Francisco with all those injuries. Yeah, they hired an independent scientist to come in and study it and then to see if they contribute to their injuries. I would love to just see what they did. They probably walked in and did nothing.

Just took that check from the 49. He's like, oh, yeah, good. Keep practicing. You're fine. Just walk around the facility a little bit. What is you just knock on the ground? You know, any kind of, you know, like the ghost hunters have those readers walking around checking things? Yeah, what was that noise?

Yeah, you think he's got something like that? Probably, yeah. I mean, you got to have something. Yeah, making sure that everything's working fine, knocking on some things in the facility just to see if it's hollow or not. I could definitely see a ghost hunter's reenactment there. We also have some kind of breaking news from the NFL came out this morning. Maybe if you're listening to Cover Zero on March 31st,

you're hearing it for the first time, but we have our Hard Knocks team. Oh, okay. Plural this year. I don't know this. I'm going to be surprised by this. Who is it, Drew? Do you have any guesses? Or who would you like to see?

You know, we've had some fun ones over the year. I'm the kind of person that just, whatever the team is, I just fall for them. The Jets that year, I'm like, Jets are winning the Super Bowl. They did not win the Super Bowl. Dan Campbell, that's kind of when we all learned about him. He actually did get the lions going in the right direction, but that was a fun one to watch. No matter the team, no matter what their previous record was, for some reason, Hard Knocks convinces me that I love them, and I want the best for

and that they're going to be good. I'd love to see Sean Payton and the Broncos a little bit behind the scenes. You know, Bo Nick's drama at the end there. I wonder if any of that's still lingering. Or you could just go like dumpster fire. Let's see what Todd Munkin and the Browns are doing, right? Deshaun Watson is he going to come back? Shadur Sanders switching from 12 to 2.

There's always going to be some drama there and some intrigue. Anything that jumps off for you? Anybody? Maybe all the bald coaches in Tennessee now. Yeah. I'd love for the Titans to get on there. I'd love for the Titans. I drove by the new stadium recently.

How's the look? Looking beautiful. Looking beautiful. Loving that, but it is not the Titans. It is. Drum roll, please. That's a good drum roll. How about for the first time since the first season of Hard Knocks?

Oh. The defending Super Bowl champ will be the team. Nice. It is the Seattle Seahawks. And with a plot twist, we already know next year will be the Patriots. So we're getting both teams from the Super Bowl. Seattle will be this year next year of the Patriots, which is odd in itself because,

For years, Belichick wouldn't even let a... Couldn't even take your phone in there with the camera. And now New England with Vrable is going to open the doors. But ahead of us this year will be Seattle. Are you excited to see what's going on with the 12th man and all the fun they're having since winning the Lombardi? Maybe. I mean, hopefully Mike McDonald becomes more of a likable character if we see more of them.

You know, how about Kenneth Walker, Super Bowl MVP leaving Seattle to go to Kansas City? That's a big blow for them. But I'm going to have to pull you away from the TV when the Patriots come on and all the Mike Rable loving that you'll be doing watching that. It'll be weird. It'll be weird. I'm glad we're getting too good team. Football was it high. We had the Bill's end season last year.

The end season's going to throw me off a little bit. I don't watch those as much as the ones with the lead up. It's just really that music is all I need. They gets my juices flowing for football season. The one they did with the Raiders back in the day. It's like what the wind is an autumn breeze or whatever. Yeah, it just it hits. It does.

So looking forward to that. And, you know, I don't think they're doing the pre-season. What was it the one with the GM and the Giants? I don't think they decided to do that again. Yeah, I think that might have been the end-season version. I didn't watch that one live. A lot of clips came out from that where they had some pretty horrible takes about their feature and those backfired. Oh, I hope Seekwan doesn't go to the Eagles.

Well, with money on that work. Yeah. We also, before we throw this, Eric Hendrick's interview, we also had what everybody loves in the offseason. You know, people think Combine, they think draft. off season moves free agency. A lot of people just want to see the coach's photo from the league meetings. And, you know, I know we're a podcast. We can't do visuals.

But that came out yesterday. For everyone that doesn't know, they all meet up somewhere in Florida, right? Looks like Florida. I should know. Maybe it's not Florida. At the Arizona. Arizona is where they were at. I just saw a lot of sunshine and guest Florida.

Arizona, even better. But all the coaches get together. They do meeting things. They complain about tush pushes. They probably talk about each other. Some of them probably have to be separated, but they all get together and do that awkward photo where you have half of them in the front rows sitting down with their hands on their knees, the other half standing behind them with their arms crossed. And that came out yesterday. You mentioned Robert Sala, my guy, rocking a hoodie.

I love it. I don't know why. Casual. I love that he's rocking the hoodie, and he's back in this team photo. He's there with Jets a few years ago. Now he's back involved. Andy Reid got the little pattern, kind of a Hawaiian-type shirt, least surprising piece of... The most casual.

Yeah, at least surprising wardrobe of all of it. But it's always fun watching these guys get together and take this awkward photo. It is. I mean, you've even got Liam Cohen looking cool over there on the side and the sunglasses t-shirt combo. Only person in the entire photo wearing sunglasses. And looks a little bit, a little space between him and Mike McCarthy. I think he's kind of doing his own thing, the trailblazer that he is. I look at the other side of the photo.

I see Clint Kubiak's calf muscles over there. Oh, wow. Do you see that? Oh, I do now that you're pointed out. I mean, those pants are tight. but he's got some the leg muscles to do it. Also, Joe Brady, look how big he is compared to Mike Lafleur, the new Arizona Cardinals coach.

Like Joe Brady, like middle right there. I mean, he looks like it's a big boy over there. That Siriani looks like he's either weight or cheese stakes looks a little big. And front and center, do the Harbaas get to pick? Because I feel like it's a big spot being the middle seat, you know, like right there front and center. I would have maybe guessed Andy Reid. He's probably the longest tenured.

I guess John Harbaugh is probably close, but you got Jim and John right there in the front. And I lie, Jim's got on sunglasses. He and Liam Cohen of the two. But the Harbaugh's gets center stage. Yeah, I was looking at John's shoes. He's got kind of like the white sock, black pennylofer look going on right now. So everybody's got their own unique style. Andy Reid, I think, is my favorite out of this one, though, with the Hawaiian shirt.

But Mike McCarthy over there looking sharp with his button down too. I don't know how he's going to do in Pittsburgh, Drew. I just don't know how that's going to work. You can also kind of tell how these guys feel about their teams. Aaron Glenn looks like he does not want to be there over there on the far end. The guys that are smiling like Sean Payton, who just had a good run with the Broncos, Mike Vrable. It's almost like you could go through and do your season predictions based on facial expressions.

Did you see Vrable putting guys through workouts recently? Or he is, I mean, he's putting his hands on these guys. Can all these coaches get that same evaluation like Rabel can? It just seems like the right guy for the job. I miss him so much. this came out. He went to Arizona State's Pro Day and he just gets down on the three-point stance and he's just

hitting their draft prospect whose name I do not know. But I mean, you know, the offensive lineman's kind of got a whole of Vrabel's shirt and his shirt's pulling up a little bit and you know, he's just in there. Other coaches are on the sideline with their arms crossed and taking notes and Vrables like, no, I want to get in there and hit him.

I'm worried about his vest. Like he could get his hand under his vest and that could rip. I just don't see like Zach Taylor doing something like that, you know? So that's just unique Mike Vrabble. I miss him so much. Well, you know, don't worry. You'll get him on hard knocks in a couple years here. And, I mean, I don't see the Patriots going away anytime soon.

No, unfortunately not. Drake May shaved his head. That's big news. You know, Tom Brady went with the buzz cut one year. Yeah. So Patriots fan. I know they're trying to speak Drake May into existence as being the next Tom Brady, but he went and did the full buzz like Tom did. So maybe even he's leaning into it. But that's a good sign. That's like a no nonsense, not dealing with the outside noise. I'm only worried about football kind of cut, you know. That's right. And we're only worried about football here on NFL cover zero. Yes.

And up next is Eric Kendricks. You mentioned fixing his own cars. We talked about the big season, the 49ers have with this big play and the injuries they had. But he really had the highs of his career and thought he was on the way out and then found new life in San Francisco. So it's fun talking to him and seeing him at the Super Bowl. Yeah, absolutely. And somebody that joined San Francisco late into the year and then made a big impact. So looking forward to hearing this again.

He played in Minnesota a little bit. We'll have that up for you next. after that, we'll have Justin Reed next week, and we're still counting down to my favorite, maybe of all of them, Orlando Brown from the Bengals. We're saving him from the end. He goes into so much about Joe Burrow and the fossils and the samurai swords and the fun they have in Cincinnati. So we're excited about all of these. But up next on this episode is Eric Kendricks of the 49ers. Enjoy it. All right, happy to be joined now from the this year 49ers, Eric Kendricks, who, what an exceptional story this year, by the way.

It looked like you weren't going to play. You joined the 49ers at the end of the year and then made big play in the playoffs. That had to be an awesome. Well, first of all, did you feel like midway through the year you were going to play this season? No, actually, the people who I was closest to, they kind of, I feel like maybe they were a little bit more worried than I was probably. Oh, they thought like you had been away so long. Your bones were too creaky. They were just kind of like, so are you going to play or like, is that, you know, or are you going to get off the couch?

or you're working out really hard. So like, are you going to put it to use? Like, go, you know, kind of showing me off, you know, go do something. And I was like, you know, I got to just got to wait. Were you waiting like for the right situation? Is that what it was? Definitely. I feel like, you know, once the season kind of started and kind of things didn't work out

how I thought they were going to be in the off season this past year, especially after the last season with Dallas, I kind of was like, you know what? Let me just wait and maybe someone, you know, a position will open. up where they need me and I can fill in. I'm ready to go. I'm in shape. But then, you know, as a season progressed, it was kind of like, okay, if I'm sacrificing, you know, certain things on my end, you know what I mean? I need to focus on the things that are important to me, you know. But we're family and friends, like, we need you to get out of the house. Like, you're starting to, like, you know, you're stinking up the place. We need you to go actually and get a job.

I just think that it's more, I think it was more of the fact that they just knew that I, they know what I'm capable of and they've kind of watched me very closely. I know that a lot of people, you know, are thinking, oh, man, this guy wasn't even playing, and then he just comes into the game and he, and he balls out. And it's like, really, like, no, I've actually really been playing well. I mean, in my, I mean, obviously, you know, I want to see myself do better. As a competitor, I can always do better. But I've really had 10 years of straight, consistent work at linebackers. So they knew what I'm capable of. They know how, how healthy I was. They knew how hard I worked to get back from my shoulder surgery. So they were just kind of eager

themselves to be like, no, man, like, I trust me, you still got it. like you need to get back out there you need to show the world what you can do so they were just more they just wanted it for me you know like more than even you wanted it for yourself yeah because they just knew that people were kind of counting me out again and you know like it's kind of crazy how it goes full circle you know from when I was in college it seemed like but uh I think they were just eager to be like no we want you we want to she we want you to show the world that you still got it uh Eric going to tell on us here not a lot of athletic accomplishments between the three of us that's not true I won seventh grade a golf turn

tournament. Let's remember. Big moment. Explain to me the feeling on that fourth down stop in the playoffs to clinch that game knowing you're moving on. What goes through? Is it just an instant relief when you all get that stop and you being the big part of it? I mean, it's crazy how you never know when your moment's going to kind of happen. To be honest with you, when everyone was asking you after the game, you know, man, how did it feel? I was like, I should have picked it off. I mean, I got I got Stafford. I got, you know, I got Tom Brady. I got Russell Wilson. I got a couple, you know, Super Bowl quarterback's, I'm like, I had to get a Jalen Hertz ball. I'm kind of pissed about that still.

It's kind of a murderous row of interceptions there. I just feel like, you know, to be in a position to like not only help the team that I joined late, succeed, but to just in the most crucial part of the game when I could just, you know, show my ability and my talents, it was just pretty surreal and, you know, everything happens for a reason. Eric, you were born in California. You played in college at UCLA. and then you're drafted and you play eight to nine years in Minnesota.

Like, is there, like, was there any part of you that you're, you're living your dream, but you're also in Minnesota? You get a little cold out there for you. Why you got to hate on Minnesota? It's freezing up there. It's a beautiful place here. It's cold. I tell people all the time, you know, I didn't own a jacket before I moved to Minnesota.

I didn't know what to expect. I didn't know that there was a city. I didn't really know anything about Minnesota. I knew it was cold and I knew that it was on a different part of the, different part of the coast. And I'm, you know, not on any coast, actually, but, you know, a different part of the, the earth than I'm used to being on. So it completely exceeded all my expectations as far as, you know, an organization and just joining the team early and being able to contribute and the defense fit, you know, my style of play and, you know, just all the, all the things that are

that are great for a young rookie to come in and a linebacker and have success. They were, they were there for me. What did you do? Like, what do you do off the field in Minneapolis? Like, like, what's, you know, if you're in Miami, you go to South Beach, right? If you're in maybe you go to the beach. What are you doing in Minnesota when things aren't playing football? To be honest with you, during the season, you're really kind of locked in no matter where you are. You may go out a little bit on a day off or you may enjoy a dinner in the town or, you know, try to have a little team camaraderie somewhere.

But for the most part, everyone's really super locked in and focused for those six months or so. But in the off seasons, you know, when it was a lot nicer weather there, One of my favorite things to do was get a bunch of the guys. We used to get bird scooters and kind of just ride down the river in the Mississippi River in downtown Minneapolis. We used to ride up and down. So you're telling me the Minnesota Vikings in their free time do the same thing like 16-year-old girls do? I'm talking about bird skaters around the. I'm talking about the Neil Hunter.

I'm talking about like, you know. Big dude. Wilson. We were all just rolling down and people would recognize this. We were kind of just like, all see you're in your own, you know, but we would all. you know, work out in the, like, OTAs, you know, we would all be working out in the morning. We'd be done by 12. We would all go hang out downtown.

We would all ride down the river together. We would all come back, eat dinner. It was really a good time. Now, I, if I understand, Cregor, you're a car guy, right? Yes. So is that, do you own a bunch of cars? You like to work on them? Are you a NASCAR fan?

Like, what does that mean that you're a car got? A little bit of everything. And, you know, I was more of a NASCAR fan when I was a kid. I just watched more sports in general as a kid. I don't really, I feel like I kind of fell off as I got into my profession as this became my job. I watched more game film now. But that being said, you know, I enjoy working on cars. I enjoy collecting cars.

I enjoy going to car shows. I enjoy bringing my, you know. So you can, you could like change an alternator. I mean, I mean, I can if I just like watch a little YouTube video, you know. Okay. Yeah, you got the wrench. For sure. I got a whole set of tools set up the Harvard Freight, you know, the Harvard Freight hook me up with a tool set.

I have a whole set of tools. And, you know, I think, I mean, I did something recently that I, like, the other day that I, do you have the thing like where you, like, you lay on it and you scoot under the car? Yeah, I mean, I have all, I have everything. You got all that stuff. I got a lift, you know. You have your own. I change my own oil, you know, most times.

You change your own oil. Yeah. Look at you. There's a, there's, there's, sometimes where the oil filter is too, and I don't want to get my garage messy, so I'll be like, I'm not going to change that oil filter, so to speak, and my GPR, especially. When I was growing up, my stepdad. My stepdad kept all his oil when he changed it. He kept the used oil in two-liter Coke bottles.

Yeah. And it was, what do you do with your used oil? You got to turn it in. So you go, like, drive it down and recycle? Yeah. Look at this guy. I mean, there's some things on a car that, like, I mean, I just changed. I have a, I have a 2022 Cadillac Blackwing.

And my oil, my, not my oil, but my engine, my engine air filter, the light came on. And, you know, you take it to the shop. It probably, probably cost you like six. hundred you don't you're not paying that i literally i literally pulled up to cadillac like i'm like oh catalogue dealership pulled up to the catalac went to the parts department they uh the lady gave me a discount on the part so the part was 160 bucks she gave me a hundred dollar part i went into my garage and i changed the oil filter in 15 minutes i mean it was a hundred dollars i mean it was really not that like if you've played with legos if you've done this like there's some things on

the car where it's very there's some things that are intimidating there's other things that are really more straightforward do you have a dream car like a favorite car maybe you already have it I got a thousand dream cars, but I mean, one of the dream cars that I have was the R34, like the Nissan GTR, the one that Paul Walker, you know, jumped over in the two. Oh, man. Okay. We got air over, you know, the little Dominic Treado. You know, I remember that when, I remember watching that movie as a kid and you hear the Luda Chris song playing, and you hear, you see Paul Walker with the blue glow underneath and he's sliding through traffic. I thought that was so cool.

And it was a Japanese car. It was unattainable. And until it's 25 years old in the United States, which it just turned. So I got one. You got one? I have one. Oh, that's awesome. You hit the Knaws button.

I don't have any gnaz. It's pretty stock for the most part. So what are we doing next year? Are you planning on coming back? Yeah. You know, I feel great. You know, I take extreme pride and taking care of my body. You know, I feel like after the Eagles game, I played 71 plays, and they kind of were like,

how do you feel? Like, you know, you kind of just jumped in there and played a whole game. And I was like, hey, listen, this is my profession. Like, I've been doing this. I do this. Like, I take it seriously. I feel great. And on top of that,

like, I feel like in high school, I was always, like, a late bloomer college. I was a late bloomer. And I just feel like that kind of, like, that youthfulness kind of just placed in my advantage. Get some metamusal.

Get yourself, get those bones worked up, and I look forward to seeing you next year. I appreciate it. All right, there you go. Eric Kendrick's car officianto, and also he will come over and change your air filter if you need to here on.

cover zero. I'm not charged less than a dealership, but I can make a deal with you if you want. Go to task, grab it, and see Eric now. All right, that was NFL cover zero's interview with Eric Kendricks at the Super Bowl in San Francisco. Loved meeting him, had a great time talking to him, learned about cars. Maybe Billy, do you think, after all that, you can go try to change your own oil if you had to? No. No, still not trying. Nothing in the last 30 minutes made you change your mind?

No, I'm kind of going the other way. Like, I think my next car is a Tesla. I don't even want to drive. like, you know. I'm not with that. I think that, you know, a hundred years from now we'll probably treat cars like we do horses today, where it's like, you know, kind of do your own thing, go on a track.

Horses. Yeah. That's the comparison. We're going backwards. I did not think you were going to say horses there. I was with you on your point. I thought we're going to be more like the Jetsons and we just get in something and. Well, no, I'm saying like nobody uses horses today.

So I don't think many people will use cars. Oh, I thought you were saying we're going towards horses. You're saying our current automobile, my Toyota Highlander right now that's about to turn 11. We'll be like a horse. Exactly. Yes. And we will, you know, we'll just be, the cars will drive us to the destination. I don't know.

But Jetson's future maybe after that. Yep. Well, after this, next week we'll be back for more of this banter on the latest news. Might have Matt, might be meeting Billy again. Whatever the case, we'll have Justin Reed in that conversation from the Super Bowl as we continue on in the off season with NFL cover zero. Thanks for listening. NFL cover zero with Matt Jones and Drew Franklin is a production of the NFL and IHeart podcast. For more podcasts from IHeart Radio, visit the IHeart Radio app.

Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.