placeholder image

Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports


The Athletic: 49ers unlikely to exercise Javon Kinlaw’s fifth-year option

Feb 19, 2023 at 12:27 PM

Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.

The San Francisco 49ers are unlikely to exercise Javon Kinlaw's fifth-year option, which probably won't come as a surprise to many. The former No. 14 overall pick in the 2020 draft is preparing to enter his fourth NFL season and the final year of his rookie contract. The Niners will likely forgo committing the guaranteed money that a fifth-year option would require.

OverTheCap.com projects Kinlaw's fifth-year option to cost about $10.5 million, all of which would be guaranteed. That's a lot of money for a player who has spent a good chunk of his career injured and hasn't been able to reach expectations while on the football field.

"The team is unlikely to pick up his fifth-year option in May, which means he's heading into the final year of his contract," wrote Matt Barrows of The Athletic. "Kinlaw played just three games last season before his knee began acting up, and the 49ers have to consider a more dependable starting defensive tackle."

Of course, this sounds more like speculation than an actual report, but the logic behind the assumption makes sense.

Kinlaw, 25, recorded four tackles through six starts with the 49ers last season. He has just 1.5 career sacks, all of which came during his rookie 2020 campaign.

The defensive tackle's best overall single-season Pro Football Focus grade of the season was 58.7, which came in Week 2. He earned a mark of 44.2-or-lower in each of his final four games, including the playoffs. Kinlaw's 31.9 overall grade and 28.8 run-defense grade this past season are career lows.

Kinlaw missed 11 games this past season after issues arose with his surgically repaired knee. He has missed 24 regular-season games over the past two seasons.

"Even after returning in mid-December, his snap counts were restricted and he never seemed to be at top form," Barrows wrote. "Kinlaw was shoved around by the Eagles' interior offensive linemen in the NFC Championship Game and he ended the season with the lowest run grade of any 49ers defender, 28.8, according to Pro Football Focus."

Enjoy this article? Follow us to never miss more!

Powered by Follow.it


Comments

More San Francisco 49ers News

placeholder image

49ers' Charvarius Ward mourns the passing of one-year-old daughter

By David Bonilla
Oct 29

Our hearts go out to San Francisco 49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward, whose one-year-old daughter, Amani Joy, has tragically passed away. The 49ers released a heartfelt statement expressing their condolences and support for Ward and his family. "The 49ers family is devastated...


placeholder image

49ers mailbag: Should SF trade away some players? Will the 49ers add a wide receiver at the trade deadline? How has Ricky Pearsall looked?

By Marc Adams
Oct 30

It's the bye week for the San Francisco 49ers. After a win over the Dallas Cowboys, the 49ers improved to 4-4 and now have a week to rest up and get healthy. They hope to get some injured players back, as well, which should help. Especially since some of those players are...


placeholder image

49ers insider predicts major payday for Brock Purdy

By David Bonilla
2 hrs

Once this season is in the books, the San Francisco 49ers will likely set their sights on securing quarterback Brock Purdy with a long-term contract, potentially making him one of the highest-paid players in NFL history. Purdy has recorded 2,101 passing yards with 10...


placeholder image

Key stats from the 49ers' 30-24 Week 8 win vs. the Cowboys

By Site Staff
Oct 27

The San Francisco 49ers improved to 4-4 on the season after a 30-24 Week 8 win over the Dallas Cowboys at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Below are several statistics and notes from Sunday's game, which were provided by the 49ers Communications staff. With The...


Latest

Trending News

Share 49ersWebzone