Kinlaw agreed to terms on a one-year deal with the Jets on Monday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Kinlaw was drafted by the 49ers in 2020 and has spent four years there. He finished the 2023 campaign with 25 tackles (13 solo), including 3.5 sacks, and three passes defensed across 17 games as a depth interior lineman. He will play a similar role in New York while he works to earn reps behind Quinton Jefferson (groin) and Quinnen Williams.
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49ers' Javon Kinlaw: Underwhelms in fourth season
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Kinlaw finished the 2023 regular season with 25 tackles (13 solo), 3.5 sacks and three passes defensed across 17 games. He added nine stops (seven solo) over the 49ers' three playoff games.
Kinlaw's fourth season with San Francisco came to a tepid end, despite appearing in every game for the first time in his career. The 2020 first-round selection operated primarily as a backup to Javon Hargrave, who was signed last offseason to handle the role Kinlaw was supposed to fill when he was drafted. The 49ers already declined Kinlaw's fifth-year option for 2024, making the interior lineman an unrestricted free agent at the start of the new league year.
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49ers' Javon Kinlaw: Fifth-year option declined
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The 49ers opted not to pick up the fifth-year option on Kinlaw's rookie contract Friday, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.
Kinlaw was selected by the 49ers with the 14th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, but he has struggled to stay healthy, playing in just 24 games in his first three seasons. General manager John Lynch told reporters on Friday that Kinlaw was having "an outstanding offseason," and San Francisco views him as a key rotational player for the defense. Kinlaw will be behind defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, who signed a four-year, $84 million contract with the 49ers in March.
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49ers' Javon Kinlaw: Activated from injured reserve
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The 49ers activated Kinlaw (knee) from injured reserve Friday.
Kinlaw was designated to return from injured reserve Tuesday and has since been added to the active roster, putting him in line to make his first appearance since suffering an elbow injury during Week 3. Given his prolonged absence, Kinlaw figures to be limited during his presumed return to action against the Commanders on Saturday.
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49ers' Javon Kinlaw: Out for Week 6
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Kinlaw (knee) has been ruled out for Sunday's contest against the Falcons, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
Kinlaw will miss a third straight game due to a knee injury he picked during prep ahead of Week 3. In his absence, Kevin Givens and Hassan Ridgeway have garnered increased roles along the 49ers' defensive line.
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49ers' Javon Kinlaw: Questionable for Week 4
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Kinlaw (knee) is questionable to play in Monday's game against the Rams, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports.
Kinlaw managed a limited practice Saturday after failing to participate in the first two sessions of the week. He has only two tackles on the season, but he has played on well over half of the 49ers' defensive snaps through three games.
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49ers' Javon Kinlaw: Put on injured reserve
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Kinlaw (knee) was put on injured reserve Saturday following knee surgery, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
The move was already anticipated since Kinlaw had already been declared out for the season. Kentavius Street had already taken over the 24-year-old's starting role in Week 7 with Zach Kerr also seeing a bump in playing time.
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49ers' Javon Kinlaw: Has season-ending surgery
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Coach Kyle Shanahan revealed Friday that Kinlaw ended up getting season-ending surgery on his knee, David Lombardi of The Athletic reports.
Kinlaw will finish his sophomore season with just eight tackles and no sacks over four appearances. On the bright side, Shanahan believes the surgery has successfully addressed the issue with Kinlaw's knee. The 2020 first-round pick will aim for a healthier and more productive 2022 campaign, while Kentavius Street will likely jump into a starting role along San Francisco's defensive line.
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49ers' Javon Kinlaw: Doubtful for Week 1
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Kinlaw (knee) is doubtful for Sunday's game against the Lions, David Lombardi of The Athletic reports.
It's unclear whether this knee injury is related to the knee swelling Kinlaw dealt with early in training camp. Either way, the starting defensive tackle is unlikely to dress for the season opener, which would open up an opportunity for Kentavius Street to take on a larger role.
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49ers' Javon Kinlaw: Questionable to face Cards
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Kinlaw (knee) is considered questionable for Saturday's game against Arizona after logging a limited practice session Thursday.
While Kinlaw fielded 74 percent of the defensive workload last Sunday against Dallas, it came to light Tuesday that the rookie first-rounder was coping with a knee sprain, per Chris Biderman of The Sacramento Bee. The fact that he improved from a non-participant to limited involvement between Wednesday and Thursday provides a spark of optimism, but his status may very well come down to game time.
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49ers' Javon Kinlaw: Day-to-day
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Kinlaw (knee) is considered day-to-day, Chris Biderman of The Sacramento Bee reports.
Kinlaw recorded three tackles (one solo) across 43 defensive snaps in Sunday's loss to the Cowboys but now his status for Week 16 is up in the air as he deals with a knee sprain. If he should be ruled out, look for Kentavius Street to see an uptick in defensive snaps.
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49ers' Javon Kinlaw: Suiting up against Rams
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Kinlaw is active for Sunday's matchup against the Rams after being removed from the reserve/COVID-19 list Friday.
The 49ers benefit from a Week 11 bye that allowed the team to return a number of defensive contributors in time for an NFC West showdown against Los Angeles. Kinlaw didn't have to miss any game action while residing on the reserve/COVID-19 list. He notched 1.5 sacks in San Francisco's last game Week 10 against the Saints after being unable to collect a single sack over his first nine NFL appearances.
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49ers' Javon Kinlaw: Activated off COVID list
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The 49ers have activated Kinlaw (undisclosed) from the reserve/COVID-19 list, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.
Kinlaw was placed on the 49ers' reserve/COVID-19 list Nov. 18 during their bye week. It remains unclear if he ever tested positive for the illness or was a high-risk close contact. While he did get activated, he remains questionable for Sunday's game against the Rams.
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49ers' Javon Kinlaw: Goes 14th overall to San Francisco
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The 49ers selected Kinlaw in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, 14th overall.
The 49ers traded back from the 13th pick to the 14th, securing bonus compensation to take the player they presumably wanted all along. The South Carolina product is a hulking figure at 6-foot-5, 324 pounds, and he should do a good job of holding down the gaps previously defended by DeForest Buckner, whom the 49ers traded to Indianapolis for the pick that would eventually turn into Kinlaw. In contrast to Buckner, though, Kinlaw is unlikely to be a standout pass rusher.
