Eagles sign LB Kendricks to four-year extension

Chip Kelly wasn’t kidding. “Mych’s not going anywhere”.

Following offseason rumors that he could be traded, Mychal Kendricks and the Eagles have instead agreed to terms on a contract extension.

The Philadelphia Eagles announced an extension for inside linebacker Mychal Kendricks that will keep him with the team through 2019. The guarantee is a little over $16 million, the source said, which is in the top five guarantees given to inside linebackers.

The contract may explain Kendricks’ absence from practice in recent days.

At 5-foot-11 and less than 240 pounds, Kendricks was also believed to fall short of Kelly’s rigid physical requirements for nucleus players.

Concussions are a troublesome issue, but even though this was his first, Alonso said it was “like any other injury; I missed some time, which is unfortunate, but I feel great now”.

Kendricks, 24, was selected as a second-round draft pick in 2012. His rookie season was Andy Reid’s last as Eagles head coach. The Eagles are solidifying the heart of their defense by keeping the in-house components intact, which is a much healthier way of remaining a consistent team than seeking out players in free agency. He had four sacks previous year, which is quite an accomplishment for an inside linebacker. Last year, despite missing four games with a calf injury, Kendricks led the team with 83 tackles.

Jay Glazer of FOX Sports reports that Kendricks has signed a new contract with the Eagles. Arguably his best year came in 2013, where he finished with 104 tackles, four sacks and three interceptions. There was no indication that a deal was close, however. The Eagles worked out a new deal with veteran inside linebacker DeMeco Ryans, meaning they had three linebackers for two spots inside.

There was talk, prior to the draft, that Kendricks could be utilized as part of a package so that Kelly could trade up and select former Oregon pupil Marcus Mariota. He said I’ll be all right. You can write that down in ink, not pencil.