Mychal Kendricks wrestled with his words. The loquacious linebacker often stammered when answering questions on sensitive topics, and those questions often had to do with his decreased playing time.
He had seen less of the field in 2015 after Kiko Alonso joined the Eagles, but early in the 2016 season, with Jim Schwartz now the defensive coordinator, Kendricks had become merely a role player. His demotion had come late in training camp, and for a month, he dodged reporters.
But Kendricks could no longer avoid his responsibilities and, after some haggling, walked out to the media house in a far corner of the NovaCare Complex.