In 2021, Kinlaw was ruled out in Week One due to a knee injury. He played in Week Two through Week Five but was placed on the Injured Reserve List for a season-ending knee injury. Following surgery for his sprained ACL, Kinlaw encountered a setback in 2022 with swelling and fluid buildup in his knee. Due to this, Kinlaw was sidelined for the remainder of the season and forced to undergo an additional surgery
Since his surgeries, Kinlaw spent his 2023 offseason at the facility working out and rehabbing his body to ensure he was ready for the upcoming season. He went on to appear in a career-high 17 regular season games in addition to all three postseason contests. Kinlaw’s success this past season is no surprised to his coaches and teammates because of the constant commitment and drive he showed to get healthy during his recovery. With the help of Kinlaw on the defensive front, the 49ers held opposing offenses to 89.7 rushing yards per game in 2023, which ranked third in the NFL.