Man, talk about a gut punch: two of the San Francisco 49ers’ biggest offseason pickups, Vederian Lowe and Christian Kirk, both had to leave practice early, and for Kirk, this could be the end of the road before it even began.
Lowe Down, Cruz Up
Assistant Head Coach Chris Foerster, filling in for Kyle Shanahan, was pretty tight-lipped about the whole injury situation. He confirmed Vederian Lowe suffered “some type of ankle injury,” but couldn’t offer much more beyond, “We’ll see. It’s his ankle. We’ll see exactly what it is. Hopefully, he’s not that bad.” Not exactly inspiring confidence, huh?
But here’s the silver lining: rookie Enrique Cruz Jr. stepped right in for Lowe, and Foerster was absolutely raving about him. He said Cruz Jr. has been “a real plus,” with everyone in the building pleased. People are coming “out of nowhere” to say how good he’s doing, calling him “really professional” and acknowledging his strong work ethic. Look, the guy’s got a learning curve, sure, but he’s “done all the right things to this point.” That’s huge for a rookie trying to make a name for himself early.
Christian Kirk’s Roster Spot Is Hanging By A Thread
Now, Christian Kirk, that’s where things get really dicey. He walked off with trainers midway through practice, and honestly, this isn’t a new story for him. The guy missed games in 2025 because of hamstring injuries, then re-aggravated those. Before that, with Jacksonville in 2024, it was groin and core muscle issues. That’s a serious injury history right there.
The kicker? Kirk is on a one-year deal. Foerster didn’t say squat about his injury directly, but the writing is on the wall. There’s “no guarantee that he makes the roster.” The 49ers would have to eat $2.78 million if they cut him, but as the old saying goes, “you cannot help the club from the tub.” If he keeps getting hurt, that’s a tough pill to swallow for a team looking to compete.
Evans and Stribling Are Shining Bright
It’s not all doom and gloom on the receiver front for the Niners, though. Foerster had nothing but “glowing reviews” for Mike Evans. He’s a “real pro,” and his skillset is going to “add so much to our football team.” They even saw a red zone play in OTAs where Evans just showed out. Foerster straight up said, “Man, I love having him out there.” The red zone is where Evans is going to be felt most, giving Brock Purdy “sky-high” margin for error when targeting him.
And then there’s rookie De’Zhaun Stribling. Foerster called him “awesome,” “phenomenal,” and “everything that I think we thought he would be and more.” He’s mature, strong, fast, physical, understands the game, lines up formations. Sounds like a total package. These two are definitely giving the 49ers something to be excited about, even with all the injury drama.
So, while Kirk’s future with the Niners looks super cloudy, and Lowe’s ankle is a concern, at least guys like Cruz Jr., Evans, and Stribling are showing out. For San Francisco, they gotta figure out these injury woes fast, but seeing young guys step up and veterans deliver is always a good sign. What a wild day.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Niners Nation.
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