SANTA CLARA -- Defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw this week underwent season-ending knee surgery that the 49ers believe will enable him to begin making great contributions next season.
"There's a lot of things that went into it that they found," 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. "But I think the good news is they feel they solved the problem.
"He (the surgeon) feels that he found the issue and he thinks that'll be good news for us next year.”
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Kinlaw, whom the 49ers selected with the No. 14 overall pick in the 2020 draft, saw significant playing time in four games after missing the season opener. But he was declared inactive for the team’s Week 7 game against the Indianapolis Colts.
Kinlaw finishes his second NFL season with eight tackles and no sacks. He appeared in 14 games as a rookie in 2020 (12 starts), and registered 33 tackles, 1.5 sacks and an interception return for a touchdown.
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Kinlaw sustained a knee injury toward the end of his rookie season that required surgery. He did not make a complete recovery, and he saw limited practice time in the offseason and training camp.
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