De’Zhaun Stribling’s rookie year with the San Francisco 49ers has already been derailed, and Deebo Samuel’s latest comments only make the road back look steeper.
Stribling entered the season with real buzz after a strong preseason, with plenty of expectation that he could become Brock Purdy’s next reliable target. Then came Week 1, and the plan cracked fast.
He went down with a left ankle injury in the second quarter and has been sidelined ever since. A return before December seems unlikely.
The bigger issue now is what happens when he does get back. Samuel recently spoke about how difficult Kyle Shanahan’s offense can be to absorb, saying, "[Shanahan's system] is really tough, to be honest with you... My rookie year, I'd say it probably took me about eight or nine weeks to really be comfortable in the offense."
That admission matters because Stribling may not have that kind of runway. Samuel’s own rookie experience backs it up: through the first seven games of his first season, he averaged only 32.4 yards per game before breaking through with his first two 100-yard outings in Weeks 8 and 9.
Stribling, meanwhile, is staring at a much tighter timeline. By the time he’s ready to play again, the 49ers will be only weeks from the playoffs. There won’t be much room for a long adjustment period, especially for a rookie who didn’t even draw a target in Week 1 despite running the most routes of any receiver before the injury.
That lack of involvement could have been tied to being out of position at times or missing some of the finer points of Shanahan’s scheme. Either way, it points to a player who still has a lot to learn before he can be trusted in a meaningful role.
The 49ers’ recent trade for veteran Keenan Allen changes the picture, too. With more receiving depth in place, San Francisco doesn’t have to rush Stribling back into action.
If he does return in December as expected, he would be walking into a stretch where the 49ers are trying to lock up a first-round bye and will face the Giants, Rams, Chargers, and Chiefs. Three of those four opponents are formidable, playoff-minded teams.
Given how demanding the offense appears to be, and how little time Stribling would have to settle in, a fresh start in 2027 suddenly looks like the cleanest answer for everyone involved.
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