Knee trouble has defined Javon Kinlaw‘s NFL career thus far, with the player brought in with the draft choice obtained in the DeForest Buckner trade not coming too close to replicating his predecessor’s form. Kinlaw has been out since Week 3 with a knee injury.
The 49ers have not given up on the former first-round pick helping their cause again this season. They are opening the third-year defensive tackle’s practice window, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area tweets. This return designation will give the 49ers up to three weeks to evaluate Kinlaw in practice.
San Francisco placed Kinlaw on IR in mid-October, and his season was always expected to be impacted by the knee surgery he underwent. Knee trouble dogged Kinlaw at South Carolina, though he showed enough with the Gamecocks to entice the 49ers to take him at No. 14 overall. He only played in four games last season, and his knee issues led to reconstructive ACL surgery. Despite Kinlaw returning for Week 1, Kyle Shanahan acknowledged there would be ups and downs coming off this surgery. Year 3 has been a lot more “down” for the interior D-lineman.
Although the 49ers have formed the league’s No. 1-ranked defense, they have done so without their starting D-tackles for most of the season. Arik Armstead has missed all but six games this season, but the longtime San Francisco starter has since returned. Kinlaw coming back to join him would obviously represent a positive development for the 49ers, but given his persistent knee trouble, it cannot be assumed the 49ers will use one of their IR activations on him. The 49ers are also without D-tackles Hassan Ridgeway (strained pec) and Kevin Givens (MCL sprain), which puts Kinlaw’s status under the microscope now that he is set to practice again.
Two IR activations remain for the NFC West champions, who also have Elijah Mitchell and D-tackle Hassan Ridgeway — who had filled in as a starter for much of this season — on the injured list. Ridgeway is expected to be sidelined into January. Mitchell is battling his second MCL sprain this season, but the second-year running back could also potentially return in January. Should the 49ers activate Kinlaw, it would be an either/or call between Mitchell and Ridgeway.
b is for the way you bust and get injured