De'Zhaun Stribling, San Francisco 49ers
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The San Francisco 49ers lost De’Zhaun Stribling to injury in their Week 1 win over the Los Angeles Rams in Australia. Nonetheless, the question is how the Niners will replace the production they expected from Stribling.
Stribling avoided the worst-case scenario, so the Niners might need a short-term solution to replace the rookie until he returns. As a result, Larry Krueger of KNBR believes San Francisco should look to the free-agent market for a solution: Former New York Giants wideout Darius Slayton.
“The one name that’s out there that really is interesting is Darius Slayton,” Krueger said in a Sept. 14 livestream on a YouTube channel. ” Now, Darius Slayton was cut by the New York Giants. They released him after seven seasons in New York. And if Stribling’s going to the IR, Darius Slayton makes a lot of sense for the 49ers. Why? He’s 29.”
Moreover, Krueger believes Slayton can fit the role head coach Kyle Shanahan planned for Stribling, since both are big-bodied receivers.
“What’s Stribling? He’s a big receiver who runs 4.36,” Krueger added. “What’s Darius Slayton? He’s a big receiver who, coming out of college, ran 4.39. So, in a lot of ways, they’re very similar receivers. I don’t think the money is going to be a big deal because he’s got money coming his way.”
Darius Slayton Would Benefit From Playing With Brock Purdy
Since coming into the league in 2019, Slayton has recorded 296 receptions, 4,435 passing yards, 15.0 yards per reception, and 22 receiving touchdowns. Krueger notes that Slayton hasn’t played with a quarterback of Brock Purdy’s caliber, which might interest the veteran.
“This guy’s never played really with a good quarterback,” Krueger said. “He’s played with some really dog-meat quarterbacks, and if you put him in a good offense with a good quarterback, I think Darius Slayton could be a very, very nice addition. Maybe even a super surprise addition. He’s coming off of a subpar 2025 season. But this is not a bad guy. This guy used to be one of their team captains.”
49ers Shouldn’t Rely Solely on Christian Kirk
Meanwhile, the Niners do have Christian Kirk, who is working his way back from injury, but because he isn’t reliable, Krueger notes that the team shouldn’t put all their eggs in that basket.
“Yes, the Niners have Christian Kirk sitting there waiting at some point,” Krueger noted. “… Kirk, if he’s healthy, he could be very good. He had a great playoff run. But I think he’s very much a question mark as far as his durability, his ability to stay on the field and to just be available. I think it’s kind of dubious as far as, I don’t know if you can rely on Christian Kirk. So, just another name, Darius Slayton.
“He’s out there. He’s a free agent. He was cut by the Giants at the cutdown. He’s looking for a job, but he doesn’t just want any job. But to me, it seems like, man, you put yourself on a 49ers team that already has Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel, Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, Brock Purdy throwing the rock. You’ve got a veteran receiver. He’s a big-bodied guy. Knows how to block. It’s a key element for Kyle Shanahan.”
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Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports writer for Heavy.com, covering the NFL, MLB, and college football. He has previously covered the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and has freelanced for PSG Talk, covering Paris Saint-Germain. He also worked as an editor at Athlon Sports, focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo
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