Well, Week 1 isn’t even over yet, and 49ers rookie wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling is already headed to the blue medical tent, according to Matt Barrows of The Athletic. Talk about a brutal start to his NFL career. This is the same guy San Francisco drafted in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft, a pick that caught a ton of flak, with most folks saying they reached for him.
Zero Targets Before the Tent
Before the medical tent drama, Stribling was active and healthy for the 49ers’ Week 1 game against the Los Angeles Rams. He even played double-digit snaps across two drives, which for a rookie wideout, you gotta admit, is some decent playing time early on. The problem? He hasn’t seen a single target in that span. Zero. Zilch. Meanwhile, the other key pass-catchers in San Francisco like George Kittle, Deebo Samuel, and Mike Evans all have at least one reception apiece. It just goes to show you how many mouths there are to feed in that offense.
High Hopes to Hard Reality
Remember all the noise around that second-round pick? Folks were ripping the 49ers, saying they flat-out reached for Stribling. But then the kid went out and had a strong preseason, giving everyone the early indication that maybe, just maybe, San Francisco actually made the right move. Now, in live game action, he’s gotta prove it, and so far, in Week 1, that just hasn’t happened. Going into the medical tent after playing snaps but getting no targets? That’s definitely not the kind of proof anyone was looking for.
What does this all mean for Stribling? With so many weapons already on the 49ers roster, opportunities might already be tough to come by. Now, with a medical tent visit added to a zero-target performance, it makes his path to making a real impact look even harder. We’ll have to wait and see if he can turn things around soon. It’s a long season, but this isn’t the kind of start a rookie wants to kick things off with.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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