San Francisco 49ers second-year defensive lineman Javon Kinlaw underwent knee surgery this week and will be placed on injured reserve, ending his 2021 season.
Kinlaw, 24, missed the 49ers’ season-opening 41-33 victory over the Detroit Lions and was out again in a 30-18 defeat to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 7 because of knee issues.
Knee problems were reportedly a concern after Kinlaw left South Carolina, but the 49ers still made the 6-foot-5, 319-pounder the No. 14 overall selection in the 2020 draft.
“I think the good news is they feel they solved the problem,” 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said Friday. “And obviously, it hurts, him not going to be with us this year. … (The doctor) feels that he found the issue and he thinks that’ll be good news for us next year.”
Kinlaw started 12 of 14 games last season, making 33 tackles with 1 1/2 sacks. He had eight tackles in four games this season.
–Field Level Media
