San Francisco 49ers offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey has spent a lot of time with defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw. The two have been mainstays at the team's facilities in Santa Clara, each rehabbing from season-ending injuries suffered last year.
Kinlaw underwent reconstructive surgery to repair his ACL after appearing in just four games in 2021. It was initially reported that McGlinchey suffered a quad tear, but the tackle revealed that it was actually a tendon tear from which he has been rehabilitating.
As a result of being together for so long and going through similar recoveries, the two have become close. On Tuesday, McGlinchey joined Brad Graham of TheSFNiners and was asked about his defensive teammate's progress.
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"It's been pretty much just me and Javon since January in the weight room," McGlinchey responded. "He came back towards the end of the season as I was kind of getting ready to travel. I think he was in L.A. for a little bit of the first part of his rehab ... but when he got back, he hit the ground running, man.
"... I couldn't be prouder of him and the way that he's developed. Not only his physical sense and the way he's trained but how he's become such a pro. He's there every single day at the same time, putting his work in as hard as he can, and competing with me, competing with everybody else that's training there, and being so diligent about his career."
McGlinchey added that Kinlaw had pushed him every day throughout his rehabilitation, and McGlinchey has made an effort to do the same for Kinlaw.
"He looks [unbelievable]," McGlinchey shared. "I've never seen a human being look like him. He is freaky looking—in the best way possible. ... He's gearing up for a hell of a year. Unbelievably motivated, unbelievably determined to prove that he's a great football player, which we all know he is already.
"And the maturity that he's shown in this last year or so, I could not be prouder of him. ... Expect big things from Javon. I think he's going to have an unbelievable year. He's ready to go."
