Getty Justin Fields barely gets the ball off versus Javon Kinlaw on September 11, 2022.
It’s one thing to have two sets of healthier knees if you’re Javon Kinlaw of the San Francisco 49ers.
But with those knees comes this for the returning defender who’s at the halfway point of his $15,488,691 rookie deal: Some scary grown man strength that has sent out a warning to future opposing guards who dare to take on Kinlaw by themselves.
Kinlaw Pulverized Interior OL in Clips
Despite the 19-10 loss, and also despite having a rather quiet statistical afternoon in Chicago, Kinlaw would’ve likely led the 49ers in this stat: The number of times he beat up someone on the opposite side.
The one who felt his wrath the most? Veteran guard Cody Whitehair, who was one of the interior options who had to account for Kinlaw in the Week 1 contest.
Kinlaw not only manhandled Whitehair, but either got him falling forward or drove him back nearly five yards as seen in the clips below against No. 65:
DT Javon Kinlaw Week 1 – Big Dawgs do big Dawg things 🦴 #49ers #FTTB #JavonKinlaw
Mind you, Whitehair is a 6-foot-3, 316-pound human being and older at age 30 — and the 24-year-old Kinlaw is again returning from a torn ACL that robbed him of contributing to an already loaded defensive line unit last season.
Kinlaw also has much leaner frame than what he’s looked like in the past:
Javon Kinlaw is a very large human. 🦍
🎥: @49ers
Per Pro Football Focus, Kinlaw delivered two pressures of Justin Fields and earned the highest PFF grade for pressures among 49er defenders. He was on the field on 39 defensive snaps as he lined up alongside Arik Armstead and rotated with newcomer Hassan Ridgeway — who were on the field for 42 and 12 plays, respectively. Kevin Givens also rotated in on 16 snaps.
Still, the talk along the 49ers’ defensive interior was Kinlaw’s return and literally bench pressing Whitehair. But there were members of the 49ers who spoke vibrantly about his return to the lineup.
One 49er is Noticing ‘Huge Difference’ in Kinlaw
Armstead last season had to slide over to the ‘B’ gap once Kinlaw went down.
While Armstead had 36 plays at that same inside spot, he also lined up over a tackle on six snaps. But in a Monday conference call with reporters, Armstead spoke about Kinlaw’s return.
“I’m really proud of J.K.,” Armstead said via NBC Sports Bay Area. “Me and him have been doing a lot of work this offseason. To see it pay off and take advantage of his opportunities, I’m really proud of him and all the work he has put in.”
Armstead added “I think the more he is on the field, the better player he is going to become.”
Meanwhile, one other prominent member of the 49ers has noticed “a huge difference” in Kinlaw overall: The man using him in his defensive schemes DeMeco Ryans. The defensive coordinator told reporters how much different Kinlaw has become post-ACL surgery.
“I notice a huge difference in just how he’s moving around,” Ryans said. “His demeanor, he’s in a really great space and he’s playing well for us and he’s moving around well. He’s not worried about injuries. Anytime you can get some stuff off your plate, mentally, you’re not worried about injuries. You’re not worried about rehabbing. Now you have time to focus on really getting better as a player and that’s where Kinlaw is. His focus is in the right place and you see his game improving each week.”
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Returning $15 Million 49er Shows Scary Grown Man Strength [WATCH]