What Will The 49ers Do During De’zhaun Stribling’s Absence?

The San Francisco 49ers made it back from Australia with a big victory, but rookie wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling suffered an ankle injury and will miss some time. Stribling started the game with veteran Mike Evans, which is a sign of his big involvement. Unfortunately, after just over 20 snaps, Stribling was carted off. His timeline is unclear at the moment, and the 49ers will have to replace the speedy rookie.

The plan after Stribling left the game changed to Demarcus Robinson and Deebo Samuel being used at different spots as receivers. That’s probably the easiest answer. Jordan Watkins wasn’t active Thursday night and will likely provide depth on game days with Jacob Cowing. As George Kittle continues to ramp up, his involvement in the pass game will increase.

Bringing Samuel back looks better by the day, as the versatile receiver will see much more playing time at different positions and be used as a chess piece. I would bet on Robinson and Evans to start in two-receiver sets, with Samuel sprinkled in situationally. We did see a shift in playing time for the running backs, and Christian McCaffrey can be used as a receiver as well.

Kaelon Black can take on a larger snap share, and McCaffrey can be used more as a receiver to maintain involvement and lighten his workload. The hope is Stribling doesn’t miss much time, nor will he require an injured reserve stint. Christian Kirk can be available after Week 4 and is a candidate to gain snaps when healthy.

Adding Darius Slayton from the New York Giants as a free agent is something the 49ers should consider, even when Stribling is healthy. Slayton joining and bumping Watkins down makes the receiver room more formidable. Sure, it didn’t work out in New York, but a change of scenery could be the ticket for the talented receiver. A room of Evans, Robinson, Slayton, Samuel, Stribling, and Cowing is an excellent blend of skill sets.

As a betting man, I believe the 49ers will lean on their vets in the building and reassess the group when Kirk returns and when Stribling’s timeline becomes clear.

Ultimately, the Stribling injury is a bummer, but the 49ers are well positioned to replace the rookie and welcome him back as another weapon when he recovers fully. Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers offense can manage to remain efficient and explosive. Getting the rookie back and ramping up down the stretch will only make this offense more dangerous.