San Francisco’s historic opener in Melbourne took a sharp turn when rookie wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling went down twice before being carted to the locker room.
The 49ers entered Thursday with plenty to like about Stribling. He had been one of the standouts of the preseason, catching 11 passes for 109 yards over his first two exhibition games.
San Francisco also spent a second-round pick on him back in April, and Mike Evans had already described him as a natural pro during training camp. That set up the kind of debut that could have extended his preseason momentum into the regular season.
Instead, the night turned into an injury watch.
Stribling first exited late in the opening quarter with what looked like an ankle problem. He went to the medical tent, then quickly came back and continued playing.
He ended up logging 18 offensive snaps before the situation worsened midway through the second quarter. After running a route, he came up limping, favored his left leg, and could not put weight on it.
Trainers helped him off the field and into the blue medical tent before he was carted to the locker room.
Slow-motion footage of the play made the moment look even more alarming. Popular sports doctor Jeff Mueller said the replay was concerning and listed an Achilles injury, calf strain, or fibular and ankle damage as the most likely possibilities. Yahoo Sports later reported the injury as hamstring-related, though San Francisco had not confirmed an official diagnosis at the time of publication.
Stribling’s story has drawn extra attention because of how far he has come. He is the nephew of WWE Hall of Famer Don Muraco, and he arrived in San Francisco after productive stops at Oklahoma State and Ole Miss. His preseason surge came despite draft-day skepticism, with several analysts questioning the 49ers for taking him ahead of higher-ranked receiver prospects.
Quarterback Brock Purdy has already spoken highly of his early progress, calling him “blessed” to be part of San Francisco’s receiver room heading into the regular season.
At the time of Stribling’s second exit, the 49ers led 10-7 and were still trying to finish off a game that already carried the weight of distance and history. Now it also carries an anxious wait on one of their most promising rookies. Further updates are expected after the team completes its return trip from Australia.
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