The San Francisco 49ers’ star of the preseason couldn’t make it to halftime of his first NFL game without being struck by their injury curse.
De’Zhaun Stribling, their top pick in the past NFL draft, pulled up limp on a route in the second quarter of their season-opener against the Rams in Melbourne, Australia, and had to be helped off the field. The 49ers have yet to issue an official update on his status.
Not long afterward, ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter revealed that the rookie was carted to the locker room.
Stribling, a rookie receiver out of Ole Miss, spent time in the injury tent earlier in the game with an apparent issue with his left ankle, the same leg he appeared to injure later in the game. He was initially ruled questionable to return before coming back in the game.
The loss is a tough one for the 49ers, who had seemed to uncover a potential immediate contributor with the 33rd overall pick. Stribling was the top-rated offensive rookie at any position in the preseason, according to Pro Football Focus.
He had yet to catch a pass before leaving his NFL debut with an apparent injury.
Stribling was the second Niner to sustain an injury on the 8,000-mile trip to Melbourne. Defensive tackle Alfred Collins was ruled out for the season after tearing his patellar tendon in practice.
The 49ers are already without Ricky Pearsall, the receiver the chose with their top pick in 2024. Now, they’ve lost the target for Brock Purdy they selected with their top choice this past June.
