The San Francisco 49ers were bitten by the injury bug yet again, with star rookie De'Zhaun Stribling suffering a lower leg non-contact injury in the team's season opener against the Los Angeles Rams
De'Zhaun Stribling suffered a non-contact injury against the Los Angeles Rams in Australia
De'Zhaun Stribling suffered a non-contact injury against the Los Angeles Rams in Australia(Image: Netflix)
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The injury bug has bitten the San Francisco 49ers yet again.
The 49ers traveled to Australia to take on the Los Angeles Rams in their 2026 NFL season opener, and while the first two quarters were sloppy, that was to be expected, as the two teams had flown more than 15 hours to play in Melbourne. That said, the Niners arrived days before their matchup to ensure the players acclimated to the discrepancy and to avoid any injuries.
However, the injury bug does not discriminate, with rookie star De'Zhaun Stribling going down in the second quarter with a concerning injury in a game that had been marred with issues as Netflix continued to struggle with its NFL broadcasts.
In the first half, Stribling came up hobbling after a play, but he made his way to the sideline and into the blue medical tent by himself. After this particular play, Stribling was spotted favoring his left leg, though he was still able to apply pressure on his injured leg.
After a few moments, he emerged from the medical tent, seemingly willing to continue playing despite the injury scare. A number of plays later, the 23-year-old attempted to make his way past a Rams defender, and as he broke free, he quickly began hopping on his right leg, unable to apply any weight on his left leg.
He then stumbled to the grass and was in considerable pain as San Francisco's medical staff came to his aid as he lay on his back in the center of the NFL logo at midfield. Though he was able to walk to the sideline and into the medical tent a few moments prior, he needed help this time around as his left leg hung in the air.
De'Zhaun Stribling suffered an injury which left him unable to apply any pressure on his left leg
De'Zhaun Stribling suffered an injury which left him unable to apply any pressure on his left leg(Image: Netflix)
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After a few minutes in the tent, Stribling was spotted being carted off the field and back to the locker room, a dejected look strewn on his face. The 49ers then announced that the young star would miss the rest of the game with an ankle injury, leaving fans to ponder what the injury was.
The 49ers have been decimated by injuries over the last handful of seasons, with the 2026 campaign no different. Before the season started, San Francisco announced that defensive lineman Alfred Collins would miss the entirety of the year after sustaining a torn patellar tendon.
Last season, the 49ers were dealt a brutal hand with a number of stars either missing time or missing the season entirely. Star quarterback Brock Purdy missed eight games with a laundry list of injuries, including turf toe.
Star tight end George Kittle, star edge rusher Nick Bosa, and star linebacker Fred Warner all suffered season-ending injuries with a torn Achilles, ACL, and a broken ankle, respectively.
Heading into the clash against the Rams, the young star was relishing the opportunities he's had with the 49ers in the preseason.
"I felt great out there. It felt great, like it was really clicking with the offense and hearing it in the huddle and lining up on the field," he shared to reporters.
"So, I'm very grateful that I had the opportunities and the passes that I did, you know, I was just trying to translate that and take all the coaching points so I can be better next week."
If Stribling will miss a considerable amount of time, the 49ers will have to lean on Christian McCaffrey, Mike Evans, and the recently returned Deebo Samuel Sr. to carry a heavier load on offense.