The San Francisco 49ers got the kind of opening-day win that usually settles a team in. They beat the Los Angeles Rams 27-7 and looked in control doing it. But the mood around the wide receiver room took a hit almost immediately, because De'Zhaun Stribling is now expected to miss more than two months with a deltoid sprain in his ankle.
That’s a tough break for a rookie who had turned heads in the preseason and was lined up for a bigger role in the offense. If the timeline lands exactly at 10 weeks, Stribling would be back for San Francisco’s game against the Minnesota Vikings on Nov.
- If his recovery runs a little longer, the December matchup with the New York Giants could be the return target.
Touchdown Wire’s Ariana Pensy laid out what the injury means for the 49ers and pointed to the players who will have to carry more of the load now. “Despite winning their season opener by 20 points, the San Francisco 49ers suffered a significant blow in their season opener against the Los Angeles Rams. Rookie wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling, a preseason standout for the 49ers, will miss about 10 weeks with a deltoid rupture. ...
If he misses exactly 10 weeks, he will return for San Francisco’s game against the Minnesota Vikings on Nov. 22. If it were a little longer, he could come back in time for their December matchup against the New York Giants.
Stribling was expected to play a major role in the 49ers' offense this season. Now, San Francisco will need other receivers, such as Mike Evans and Deebo Samuel, to keep making an impact this season.
Both receivers were targeted seven times, had six receptions, and caught a touchdown in the season opener. Running back Christian McCaffrey also played an active role in the receiving game with eight targets and five receptions.”
The setback doesn’t necessarily prove Stribling would have been a game-changer right away in the regular season. He hasn’t played meaningful games yet, even if the preseason offered enough flashes to get attention. But the 49ers were counting on him, and that’s where the injury stings.
Now the pressure shifts to the rest of the pass-catching group, especially with aging stars Mike Evans, Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle all having dealt with injuries not that long ago. That’s where the concern starts to build: San Francisco can look the part of an NFC contender when healthy, but the room for mistakes gets smaller fast when the injury list starts growing.
For now, the 49ers have banked a dominant win and a warning sign at the same time. Stribling will be hoping to make it back before the playoff stretch.
In Other News...
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For a team that has had to manage excessive heat in past daytime games at home, that matters more than it might seem on paper. The Dolphins arrive as a dangerous early test, but the 49ers at least appear set to avoid one of the more annoying variables that can turn a September game in Santa Clara into something closer to a survival exercise. [Read more 🡒]
Fred Warner Said What 49ers Fans Were Feeling About Dre Greenlaw
The 49ers defense wasted no time reminding the rest of the NFC why it still draws so much attention in Santa Clara. In Week 1 against the Rams, San Francisco held Los Angeles under 10 points, and the middle of that effort looked familiar again with Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw back side by side on the field. Warner led the way with 11 tackles, while Greenlaw added six in his return after spending a year with the Denver Broncos.
For 49ers fans, the reunion carried a little extra weight because it brought back a pairing that has long been tied to the identity of this defense. Warner sounded as energized as the crowd felt about seeing Greenlaw back in the mix, and the early result suggested the comfort level between the two has not gone anywhere. The bigger question now is how quickly that revived linebacker duo can help San Francisco settle in as the season unfolds. [Read more 🡒]