The San Francisco 49ers’ big plan to get younger on offense just blew up in their face. De’Zhaun Stribling, their No. 33 overall pick from April’s draft, went down with a deltoid sprain in his left ankle during the second quarter of their Week 1 win over the Los Angeles Rams. It’s a brutal blow because this kid was supposed to inject some much-needed youth and fresh legs into their aging lineup. Instead, they immediately reverted to their old habits, relying heavily on veterans. According to Josh Dubow of The Associated Press, the Niners had a staggering 68.9% of their yards gained by players aged 30 or older in that game. That’s a percentage not seen since the Raiders back in December 2017. Talk about a step backward!
The Youth Movement Gets a Reality Check
Listen, Kyle Shanahan fell in love with Stribling’s college tape, praising his route-running, speed, size, and physicality. The dude was being used as an every-down receiver in his NFL debut, playing 21 snaps before getting hurt. That’s almost unheard of for a Shanahan rookie receiver and it screamed how desperate they were for Stribling’s energy. It’s the same story with third-round running back Kaelon Black. The whole point of drafting these guys was to finally get some youth on offense, because let’s be real, this team has been getting old and injury-prone. You’ve got Mike Evans at 33, George Kittle at 32, Demarcus Robinson at 31, and then Deebo Samuel and Christian McCaffrey both at 30. Outside of Stribling and Black, their best skill guys are all on the wrong side of 30.
Leaning on the Old Guard (Again)
So, with Stribling sidelined, the 49ers are right back to scrambling. They need to survive this situation for at least a month, probably longer. Shanahan’s got Christian Kirk, 29, waiting in the wings to return from injured reserve after Week 4, but that still leaves a gap. The focus now shifts big time to Mike Evans’ health. If he pulls a hammy or a groin, they’re in deep trouble. Samuel and Robinson had strong first games and absolutely HAVE to stay healthy as the second and third options. McCaffrey suddenly becomes even more crucial as a receiving option out of the backfield. Shanahan also tossed around ideas about Jordan Watkins or Jacob Cowing getting some snaps, or maybe even a practice squad call-up. He’s probably gonna keep rolling with a lot of 21 personnel sets, meaning Kyle Jusczcyk, the fullback, will continue playing about half of the offensive snaps, just like he did in Week 1. In that 27-7 rout of the Rams, Evans led Niners receivers with 49 snaps, Robinson had 41, and Samuel logged 27 out of their 65 offensive snaps. They dominated, so no one got overworked, but that won’t always be the case.
The 49ers thought they were turning a corner with youth, and now they’re right back to holding their breath on aging veterans. It’s a long month ahead, and every game until Stribling returns is going to test just how much their older stars have left in the tank.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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