Stribling first hurt the ankle late in the first quarter against the Los Angeles Rams at Melbourne Cricket Ground. San Francisco listed him as questionable to return, and he went back into the game, The Associated Press reported.
With 7:16 left in the first half, Stribling pulled up while running a route and could not put any weight on his left leg, Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk reported. He needed help to reach the sideline medical tent. A cart later took him to the X-ray room, and the 49ers ruled him out before halftime.
Stribling was not targeted before he left. The game kicked off at 7:35 p.m. CT and streamed on Netflix.
Later in the second quarter, Demarcus Robinson caught a 39-yard touchdown pass from Brock Purdy. Robinson played for the Rams in 2023 and 2024. His score gave San Francisco a 10-7 lead with 4:28 left before halftime. The 49ers led 27-7 in the fourth quarter.
Tight end Jake Tonges was also ruled out in the first half. He could not put weight on his right leg when he came off the field with two minutes left before halftime, and the 49ers listed a knee injury, Williams reported.
De’Zhaun Stribling’s 11-Catch Preseason
Stribling was San Francisco’s first selection in April’s draft, taken 33rd overall in the second round out of Ole Miss. Before Ole Miss, he played at Washington State and Oklahoma State. He caught 52 passes for 882 yards and 6 touchdowns at Oklahoma State in 2024 and 55 passes for 811 yards and 6 touchdowns at Ole Miss in 2025.
In the preseason opener against the Tennessee Titans on Aug. 13, Stribling caught 7 of his 8 targets for 63 yards, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. He caught 4 passes for 46 yards in the second preseason game, a 41-17 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. Purdy found him 3 times on the opening drive for 25 yards, the 49ers’ team site reported.
Those two games left him with 11 catches for 109 yards on 13 targets. Stribling did not play in the Aug. 27 preseason finale at Las Vegas. He had come out of the Chargers game with a minor shoulder injury. Earlier in camp, a tight hamstring cost him a week of practice, according to The San Francisco Standard.
When Purdy met with reporters in Melbourne on Tuesday local time, he named Mike Evans, Robinson, and Deebo Samuel as the older receivers around Stribling.
“You can see him out on the practice field, in between periods and stuff, just talking and going over routes and stuff,” Purdy said. “I just think, overall, just for Stribling, and Stribling knows it, how blessed he is to have that kind of room, those older vets and stuff where he can learn.”
Ricky Pearsall’s Season-Ending Knee Surgery
The 49ers were already without Ricky Pearsall. General manager John Lynch announced Aug. 1 that the 2024 first-round pick would have surgery on the posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and miss the 2026 season. San Francisco placed him on injured reserve the same day. Lynch put the recovery at six to 12 months.
Pearsall announced on Aug. 13 that he had undergone the surgery. He first injured the ligament on Sept. 28, 2025, and missed all or parts of 10 games last season. Through two seasons, Pearsall has 67 catches for 928 yards in 20 games.
Samuel signed a one-year deal on July 31, a day before Pearsall went on injured reserve. He spent 2025 with the Washington Commanders after six seasons in San Francisco. The 49ers added Evans, a six-time Pro Bowler, in March.
In the third quarter Thursday, Evans caught a 2-yard touchdown pass, his first touchdown with San Francisco and the 109th of his career. Samuel added a 15-yard touchdown catch early in the fourth quarter.
San Francisco hosts the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, Sept. 20, at Levi’s Stadium. Kickoff is set for 3:25 p.m. CT on Fox.
