Derion Kendrick, a former Georgia Bulldogs cornerback, found himself on the chopping block just weeks after inking a deal with the Dallas Cowboys in late March 2026, as the franchise trimmed its roster to the mandated 53‑player limit.
Though he appeared in every preseason contest for Dallas and started two of them, the 27‑year‑old managed only five catches for 36 yards, numbers that failed to secure his spot on the final roster.
A career at a crossroads
Kendrick's professional trajectory has been marred by injury setbacks; a torn ACL sustained during a training‑camp session on July 25, 2024, forced him to miss the entirety of the 2024 campaign with the Los Angeles Rams.
After being waived by the Rams on June 13, 2025, he was quickly re‑signed, only to be cut again during the final roster reductions on August 26, 2025, a sequence that underscored the volatility of his recent years.
The Seattle Seahawks claimed him off waivers the following day, giving him a chance to contribute; across ten games he logged seven tackles and two interceptions before his release on November 25, 2025, after which he returned to the Rams for the remainder of the season, finishing with just three tackles.
College highlights reveal a decorated amateur career: two national championships with Clemson (2018‑20) and Georgia (2021), plus All‑ACC first‑team honors in 2020 and second‑team accolades in 2019, during which he amassed 61 tackles, four tackles for loss and three interceptions.
At Georgia, he contributed 41 tackles, two for loss and four interceptions, including a standout performance with two picks against Michigan in the College Football Playoff semifinals.
Now, NFL franchises are eyeing the veteran’s skill set, hoping to revitalize a career that has been punctuated by injuries and frequent roster churn.