After being listed as questionable heading into the final game of the NFL’s fourth week, Javon Kinlaw was ultimately ruled inactive alongside fellow San Francisco 49ers teammates Danny Gray, Nick Zakelj, Tyrion Davis-Price, Tyler Kroft, Tarvarius Moore, Javon Kinlaw, and all-world left tackle Trent Williams. Though he did participate in practice heading into the team’s Monday Night Football foray, Kyle Shanahan decided to keep Kinlaw off the field to be safe, as he detailed in his Tuesday press conference, as transcribed by 49ers WebZone.
“He put up a big fight to try to play on Monday, but he wasn’t that close to going,” Shanahan explained. “He wanted to work out before the game, so we gave him a chance and we decided it’d be a lot safer to wait this week and see how he reacts.”
Despite starting the first three games of the season following a torn ACL suffered in Week 5 of the 2021 season, Kinlaw’s return to the injury report is far from a welcomed development.
Javon Kinlaw Was A Gametime Decision In Week 4
While watching San Francisco warm up ahead of Week 4, 49ers beat writer Cam Inman evaluated Kinlaw’s movement following a flare up to his surgically repaired knee.
“49ers Javon Kinlaw (25th birthday today) looking spry in warmups,” Inman tweeted. “He didn’t practice Thursday or Friday after surgically repaired knee flared up and had him listed as questionable.
Official status due out in 30 minutes.”
#49ers Javon Kinlaw (25th birthday today) looking spry in warmups.
He didn’t practice Thursday or Friday after surgically repaired knee flared up and had him listed as questionable.
Official status due out in 30 minutes
Taking part in both footwork and change of direction drills, Kinlaw did, in fact, look fluid, with no clear hitches in his strides. This, unfortunately, was not enough to warrant a spot on the active roster, as the team ultimately decided to play it safe ahead of a short turnaround in Week 5.
Capturing the moment where Demeco Ryans presumably told Kinlaw that he wouldn’t be active for the game, Matt Barrows of The Athletic showed the former first-round pick out of South Carolina leaving the field dejected by the news.
No official word on Kinlaw, but he just walked off the field dejectedly following this conversation with Ryans.
Though it’s never good to see a starter be told they can’t go ahead of a game, it’s at least encouraging to see Kinlaw trying to prove his availability ahead of a crucial Week 4 contest.
Kevin Givens Has Played Well For The San Francisco 49ers
With Arik Armstead and Kinlaw out in Week 3 and 4, respectively, the 49ers have given an extensive run to Kevin Givens, a defensive tackle out of Penn State who initially joined the team as an undrafted free agent in 2019, as so far, the results have been encouraging. Tweeting on Givens’ efforts, David Lombardi gave the fourth-year defensive lineman rave reviews.
“Kevin Givens has only gotten better as his snap count has increased for the 49ers to about 35 reps per game given the recent Armstead and Kinlaw unavailabilities,” Givens wrote. “He has 5 run stops, including a TFL off a sweet spin move and a sack over the past 2 games.”
Lombardi’s evaluation is correct; Givens’ 63.6 defensive rating, according to Pro Football Focus, ranks second on the team among defensive tackles behind only Hassan Ridgeway, and he’s already matched his career-high sack total in a season on just 102 defensive snaps. If Givens can continue to produce once Armstead and Kinlaw are both back and fully healthy, it will provide Ryans’ already impressive defensive front even more firepower.
Kevin Givens has only gotten better as his snap count has increased for the 49ers to about 35 reps per game given the recent Armstead and Kinlaw unavailabilities. He has 5 run stops, including a TFL off a sweet spin move and a sack over the past 2 games
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A Key 49ers Starter Came Close To Playing in Week 4