One Game. One Injury. De'Zhaun Stribling's Rookie Season Is Already Slipping Away

Damon Bruce Plus: 49ers, Warriors, Giants, National Headlines, Bay Area Sports Talk · Sep 17, 2026 · 1h 9m

He was the feel-good story of the entire summer. Eleven catches. 109 yards. The best preseason performance by a rookie receiver in the NFC. The guy who made every 49ers fan forget about Brandon Aiyuk, Ricky Pearsall, and every other receiver nightmare this offseason served up. And then in his very first regular season game — his NFL debut — De'Zhaun Stribling went down on a non-contact play in Melbourne, was carted off the field, and will now have surgery on a deltoid ankle sprain that could cost him most of his rookie year. The substation wins again.

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