The San Francisco 49ers have officially released Canadian defensive end Jonathan Kongbo with an injury settlement.
Kongbo was waived last week after suffering a groin injury, but cleared waivers and reverted to San Francisco’s injured reserve. The Niners didn’t want to keep him around, however, and he is now a free agent whenever he regains full health.
The 24-year-old spent last year with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, recording twelve tackles and one sack en route to a Grey Cup title. He was released in December to pursue the NFL.
Kongbo was ranked as the No. 1 junior college defensive line prospect while at Arizona Western College. He received scholarship offers from Alabama, Oregon, Oklahoma, USC, Florida State, Washington, Ole Miss and Tennessee. The six-foot-six, 264-pounder chose the Volunteers, appearing in 30 games over the next three seasons.
The Surrey, B.C. native made seventeen starts with Tennessee as a linebacker and defensive lineman, recording 51 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and two interceptions. He suffered a torn ACL midway through his senior season, which is why he went unselected in the 2019 NFL draft.
Kongbo was chosen fifth overall by the Bombers the 2019 CFL draft and got more healthy as his rookie season progressed. He remains an intriguing prospect who has yet to successfully reach his full potential.
