The Washington Commanders announced today that they have signed defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw. Full terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Kinlaw (6-5, 319) is entering his sixth NFL season and entered the league with the San Francisco 49ers as a first-round draft pick (14th overall) in 2020. In his career, Kinlaw appeared in 58 games with 45 starts with 110 total tackles, 9.5 sacks, one interception for a touchdown, seven passes defensed, 12 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. Kinlaw was named 2020 NFL All-Rookie Team in his first season.
Last season, Kinlaw played and started in all 17 games and recorded a single season career-high in combined tackles (40), sacks (4.5), tackles for loss (5), and forced fumbles (2).
In 2023, he appeared in every game (six starts) where he recorded 25 tackles, four tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, six quarterback hits, 18 quarterback pressures and three passes defensed. In three playoff games, Kinlaw registered nine tackles, two tackles for loss and one quarterback hit.
Kinlaw appeared in Super Bowl LVIII in the 2022 season where he also played and started in six games. He recorded four tackles and six quarterback pressures. He started in three playoff games and logged five tackles, one tackle for loss, and two passes defensed. Kinlaw was placed on injured reserve Week 6 before being activated Week 16.
From 2020-21, he played in a total of 18 games (16 starts). His rookie year he registered 33 total tackles, 1.5 sacks, an interception for a touchdown, four quarterback hits, and three tackles for loss. His second season he started in four games and recorded eight tackles, one quarterback hit, and seven quarterback pressures before being placed on injured reserve for the remainder of the season.
Kinlaw, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago native, attended Goose Creek High School. He attended South Carolina where he played in 29 games and recorded 82 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, 10.0 sacks, eight passes defensed, three forced fumbles and four fumbles recovered.
