Javon Kinlaw says 49ers ‘revived’ him, shares update in return from ACL surgery

San Francisco 49ers defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw continues his journey toward a return to the football field. Earlier this month, the former first-round pick shared a video of himself running at the 49ers' facilities in Santa Clara, where he continues to rehabilitate.

"I'm feeling amazing," Kinlaw told Brad Graham of TheSFNiners in March. "Really, honest, I've had nothing but ups, no downs. Knock on wood. Everything has been progressing the right way. As far as from a health standpoint, I already feel healthier than I was last year when I was on the field, so I'm just excited to really get back out there and just be able to really showcase what a healthy Javon Kinlaw can do for this organization."

On Monday, Kinlaw shared another update on his rehab progress (h/t TheSFNiners), including the defensive lineman running and in the weight room.

"Lotta miles covered but a lot more to go," Kinlaw wrote on the Instagram post. "I'm still takin this thing one day at a time. This organization revived me when I needed it the most. So blessed to be apart of this team. It always gets greater later."


Kinlaw registered eight tackles through four game appearances last season before being shut down and undergoing reconstructive surgery to repair his ACL. As a rookie in 2020, he recorded 33 tackles, three tackles for a loss, four quarterback hits, 1.5 sacks, an interception, a touchdown, and four passes defended.

"I see him every day working outside my window," head coach Kyle Shanahan said in March. "This is the healthiest I've seen him since he's been here. And I really think he fixed some of the things that were the issues. And I'm as excited for him as anyone."

Kinlaw has his share of doubters and looks to prove them wrong with a strong comeback in 2022. After dealing with several setbacks in his first two seasons, the defender is feeling better than ever.

"All in all, the rehab process has been cool," Kinlaw said, "the little things I've been working on, a lot of single-leg things, just a lot of bending, that type of stuff. I already got way more knee [flexibility] than I ever had in my life. Hip flexibility—I've got more hip flexibility than I ever had in my life. The things that I do now, I've probably never been able to do in my life, so it's just really exciting."