Now that his knee is healthy, Javon Kinlaw vows to live up to expectations
49ers defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw faces a prove-it year, entering the final year of his rookie contract after the team declined his fifth-year option. It's as much about proving he can stay healthy as it is playing well.
Kinlaw missed 24 of a possible 34 games the past two seasons after undergoing reconstructive knee surgery in 2021 and encountering a setback on his rehab in 2022.
Kinlaw is ready to prove he is who the 49ers thought he was when they drafted him 14th overall in 2020.
"The world gonna see, point blank, period," Kinlaw told reporters on Friday, via David Bonilla of 49erswebzone.com.
He said he no longer thinks about his knee, having confidence in his knee now to go with confidence in himself.
"I mean, a whole bunch," Kinlaw said of the difference it makes in knowing his knee is right. "Playing with one-and-a-half legs is no good. You think about it every snap versus [having] two legs, two good legs. Body is improving as a whole. Just able to do some things I've never been able to do, so it gives me superior confidence."
Kinlaw has 45 tackles, 1.5 sacks and an interception in 24 games over three seasons. He is convinced this year is his year.
"I work at it every day," Kinlaw said. "When you work at something every day, you get superior confidence over it. It's all mind over matter, and right now, I'm in a great mental space. And nothing's going to stop my knee because I work at it every single day. It's a must. I don't go a day without working on it."
