The San Francisco 49ers' wide receiver unit saw a positive development Thursday with the return of rookie De'Zhaun Stribling to training camp practice. Stribling had been sidelined for over a week due to a hamstring injury. Although he was limited and did not participate in team drills, his presence marks a hopeful sign for the team, which has been navigating a thin receiver corps.
Stribling, selected 33rd overall in the 2026 NFL Draft, had shown promise early in training camp before his injury. His return comes at a critical time, especially with Ricky Pearsall out for the 2026 season following surgery. The team also recently signed Deebo Samuel to a one-year contract.
Stribling is expected to compete for significant snaps alongside veteran receivers such as Mike Evans and Christian Kirk, both of whom have also been dealing with injuries. The team's receiver room has been further impacted by an accident involving head coach Kyle Shanahan on July 14, which led to severe injuries for the coach. In total, the 49ers were down 20 players on their 90-man roster by the end of Wednesday's practice.
Quarterback Brock Purdy has previously praised Stribling's early performance, noting his reliability and quick grasp of the playbook. "This dude has proven to all of us that he’s reliable and we can trust him ... I got a lot of trust in him right now," Purdy said during the second day of training camp. "Dude is a baller and I mean that. It’s hard to say that for a rookie right off the jump, but just seeing him run routes, going up against defenders in OTAs and in camp yesterday. He’s a great route runner. He’s smart. He’s learned the playbook really quick— which is awesome."