Wondering why the San Francisco 49ers took De’Zhaun Stribling is already old news.
After two preseason games, the rookie receiver has started to change the conversation. What was skepticism three months ago has given way to a more optimistic read on what he might bring when the regular season arrives. His three catches in Thursday night’s preseason win over the Chargers were modest on paper, but they still managed to stand out.
Stribling kept his own explanation simple when he spoke with Steve Wyche after the game.
“Just trying to do my part to help the whole offense roll,” Stribling said to Steve Wyche after the game.
That offense runs through Brock Purdy, and the quarterback came away impressed with how quickly the rookie fit in.
“He’s a guy that’s consistent, smart, and shows that he’s a guy that you can trust,” Purdy said via NBC Sports Bay Area. “That first drive, to go out there and be able to connect with him, felt really good; him making some tough catches with guys on him and things like that.
So for me, that’s huge. I know he’s going to continue to get better.”
Purdy’s praise focused on what Stribling already does on the field, but George Kittle has noticed something else too: the way he carries himself.
“He’s got the right mindset off the rip,” Kittle said in an NFL Radio interview earlier in the week. “Zero ego. He asks questions-like, ‘Hey, what can I do on this?’”
Kittle said his message to young players is to be a sponge and learn from the veterans around them, and that’s been part of Stribling’s approach so far. The rookie’s own words fit that same theme. Asked about his role, he boiled it down to one line:
“Just doing my 1-11,” meaning he was one of 11 players on the field.
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