Mychal Kendricks' 2018 season was limited by both injury and suspension, but the linebacker still showed enough in four games for the Seahawks to want him back in 2019, and after briefly hitting the free-agent market, Kendricks made his return official by re-signing with Seattle.
Kendricks, 28, joined the Seahawks last September and appeared in three games before the league handed down an indefinite suspension that was later amended to eight games. The suspension stemmed from Kendricks pleading guilty to insider trading in September. Following his suspension, Kendricks started the Seahawks' Week 14 win over Minnesota, but sustained a knee injury in that game that landed him on injured reserve.
"We had done a lot of homework on it, and it happened four and a half years ago, so it's a story that has been worked on for a long time, a lot of good information," Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said after the Seahawks signed Kendricks. "We have come to learn who he is and what he's all about and how remorseful he was, and how he admitted to his mistake a long time ago. He paid the money back, he did all of the right things along the way, and the process continues, but we just checked everything we could possibly check out, and he's a guy who deserves a second chance."
Following Kendricks' season-ending injury, Carroll indicated the plan was to bring the linebacker back if possible, saying, "We'll look forward to getting him back next time and being with us."
A second-round pick by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2012, Kendricks recorded 19 tackles, two sacks and one pass defensed last season while playing weakside linebacker in place of an injured K.J. Wright.
