5 biggest 49ers takeaways from first week of OTAs

49ers takeaway No. 5: There was no winner between Javon Kinlaw and Grant Cohn

From time to time it isn’t uncommon to see scuffles in preseason practices. These are players fighting for roles on the field and sometimes even their careers, so it’s natural for there to be underlying tension.

A player going against a journalist, however? That’s not something I’ve seen. At least not so publicly

Defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw has undoubtedly not been the player the 49ers envisioned when they drafted him in the first round in 2020. Injuries killed almost his entire season last year, while the season before, injuries devastated the defensive line, which meant Kinlaw couldn’t take advantage of attention being on players like Nick Bosa or Dee Ford.

Maybe this year is finally the year Kinlaw steps up, but Grant Cohn of Sports Illustrated has been someone that’s been on his case since the former South Carolina Gamecock became a 49er.

Cohn is an incendiary columnist, and it’s no secret he enjoys the attention for it. He’s prodded Kinlaw once too often, and this was perhaps an inevitable blowup from a frustrated player.

If it had ended there, it’d be noteworthy but eventually forgettable. But Kinlaw dragging it on by appearing on Cohn’s livestream and continuing the fight on there? That was a step too far. General manager John Lynch dragged the two into his office and made them shake hands so they can move on, only for Kinlaw to very publicly point out the apology wasn’t genuine on his end and he only did it for the team.

In fairness to Kinlaw, I highly doubt Cohn was genuine in his contrition either. But that’s not the point.

There’s no winner in this feud. Kinlaw has to not let haters get him in his career, even if they’re a columnist. Meanwhile the unanimous support Kinlaw has received from his teammates has shown exactly how despised Cohn is in the 49ers locker room.

Somehow, I don’t think he cares.

At the end of the day they just have to move on. Cohn has the right to convey his opinions online and Kinlaw has the right to hate them. But if they continue to inflame the situation, what would be just a flash in the pan of the 49ers offseason has the potential to be an inferno of a distraction.