The 49ers’ early excitement around De’Zhaun Stribling has cooled fast, and the latest update makes the outlook even tougher to swallow.
Stribling has not played since Week 1 because of a deltoid ligament sprain in his ankle, and NBC’s Jennifer Leechan reported this week that he still is not walking on the injured foot. That leaves his return timetable at Week 12 at the earliest.
It’s a discouraging turn for a rookie who turned heads in the preseason and seemed to force his way into a starting conversation. After Ricky Pearsall’s season-ending surgery in training camp, Stribling looked lined up for a breakout first year. Instead, there’s a real chance his rookie season ends up being mostly lost.
Even if he does get back in Week 12, the timing could work against him. By then, San Francisco could be sitting near the top of the NFC and pushing all season for a first-round bye. That would mean the 49ers are focused on preserving their place, while Stribling would be trying to catch up without much chemistry built with Purdy.
And that chemistry matters. With only one team in each conference getting a first-round bye, one or two slip-ups in the regular season could force the 49ers into an extra game. In that kind of setup, there may simply not be room to ease a rookie receiver back into a featured role.
The more realistic path is a limited one. If Stribling returns this season, he would likely fit behind veterans Mike Evans and Deebo Samuel, who would handle most of the snaps. But even that assumes he can get back to full weight-bearing on his left ankle, and then spend weeks ramping up his conditioning.
Given the severity of the injury and how slowly he has progressed, a meaningful late-season role feels out of reach. If Stribling does contribute before the year ends, it may just be as a supporting piece rather than the centerpiece many expected.
For now, the bigger payoff may have to wait until 2027. He still has the kind of talent that can turn heads, but the breakout San Francisco fans imagined might not come until next season.
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