Some fans are ready to give up on defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw, assuming they haven't already. However, the San Francisco 49ers still believe in their massive defensive lineman, who has struggled with injuries in his short NFL career thus far.
Kinlaw has appeared in three games this season, dealing with issues in his surgically reconstructed knee. As a result, San Francisco placed him on injured reserve on October 15. The defensive tackle can return, though, and that's what the 49ers hope will happen. They believe Kinlaw can still make an impact this season.
"He's been making some progress," general manager John Lynch said Friday morning on KNBR's Murph & Mac show. "We felt, ultimately, he was starting to go through some of the swelling issues and things that he had faced before. And we felt like we had to give him an opportunity, put him on IR, really slow this thing down, and build it back up.
"And we're hopeful that when his time off IR, coming off the bye—I think we have slated a couple of games after the bye for Javon to come off—and we're hopeful that he can finish the season strong. He's a big part of what we do. He's had a rough go, but we're putting in everything we can.
"And I can tell you this: Javon is working his tail off. No one's working harder than Javon. He wants to be out there, and we're a better team when he is."
Kinlaw is in his third NFL season and has missed 19 games over his professional career. He has registered 43 tackles, three tackles for a loss, five quarterback hits, one interception, a touchdown, four passes defensed, and 1.5 sacks in his three NFL seasons since San Francisco made him the No. 14 overall pick in 2020.
You can listen to the entire conversation with Lynch below.