Stribling, Rourke show off in 49ers debuts; Shanahan on sideline as usual

SANTA CLARA – Hello, De’Zhaun Stribling.

Stribling, the 49ers’ top draft pick at No. 33 overall, made about as positive a first impression as possible in his NFL debut, that being Thursday night’s 19-13, preseason-opening loss to the Tennessee Titans.

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It wasn’t just that Stribling racked up seven receptions on eight targets through the first 1 ½ quarters. It was the array of plays he made, all while the 49ers kept out more heralded receivers Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel and Christian Kirk.

Stribling made an immediate impact from the game’s first play by catching a 6-yard pass from Kurtis Rourke, whose own debut ended prematurely. Rourke exited with a rib injury after three series and was taken to the hospital for further examination, coach Kyle Shanahan said.

Early in the second quarter, Stribling streaked down the right sideline and twisted around to snag a perfectly placed 32-yard pass from Rourke against cornerback Cor’Dale Flott.

“I had a man-on-man matchup. He was playing a little off, 3 yards away. I kind of just stepped on his toes with pure speed. (He) had his hands ready, so I swiped his hands down, dug out, looked for the ball,” Stribling said. “”The ball felt it was hanging a little bit, so I had to attack it, be in a position to break it up, have strong hands through the catch and secure it on the way down.”

Earlier, Stribling also made a 9-yard, contested catch against Flott.

Wearing the No. 15 jersey vacated by Jauan Jennings’ free agency exit to Minnesota, Stribling showed similar physicality and play-making ability. But Stribling was faster and more graceful, as evident by a toe-tapping, second-effort reception along the sideline in the red zone, to which he said: “Happy that it worked out. I thought I was (in bounds). That was the whole goal of the whole thing.”

Stribling’s stat line was hurt by a 5-yard loss on a jet-sweep toss on the first series, which ended with a punt by newcomer Corliss Waitman.

ROURKE EXCELS BUT HURT

Rourke’s rib injury, presumably from getting hit on a run to the 1-yard line, required a hospital visit for further examination after the stadium’s X-ray machine did not reveal a fracture. Shanahan said Rourke was having difficulty breathing and came out after three series, replaced by Adrian Martinez midway through the second quarter.

“We were worried he got banged up on that draw. We were trying to look at him and yelling to him. He was saying he was fine,” Shanahan said. “He got to the sideline after we scored and they said they needed to take him in to look at his rib. It didn’t seem broken on the first X ray but they kept him in at halftime and and sent him to the hospital because he was struggling with his breath.”

Neither Brock Purdy nor backup quarterback Mac Jones suited up, so if Martinez hadn’t been able to finish out the game, tight end Brayden Willis got prepped for emergency duty that would have entailed strictly handoffs, Shanahan said.

Rourke completed 12-of-14 passes for 100 yards, and just as eye-opening was his mobility. The 2025 seventh-round pick sat out last season recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament repair. Martinez was 16-of-30 for 159 yards.

SHANAHAN, KITTLE APPEAR

Shanahan stood at the 50-yard line on the 49ers’ sideline next to George Kittle just before kickoff. That duo has represented the 49ers’ biggest health concerns coming into training camp … into this preseason … and into the regular season that starts in four weeks in Melbourne, Australia.

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Both seem on their way to resuming full-time roles for that opener against the Los Angeles Rams (Sept. 10).

Shanahan’s health is the more known entity, as he’s shown evident improvement from a concussion and fractures to his nose, left hand and ribs stemming from his July 14 two-car collision in Palo Alto. “Evaluating my health is somewhat embarrassing and I think getting old to everybody,” Shanahan said Tuesday. “So, don’t take it personal. I’m trying not to (discuss it) anymore. I was messed up, and I’m getting a lot better.”

Shanahan patrolled the sideline in midseason form, which meant he reviewed plays on a tablet after each series. He had a play sheet in his hand, but he bequeathed play-calling duties to offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak like last preseason. “It really felt the same as last year,” Shanahan said. “I have a lot of confidence in Klay. He does as good a job at it as anyone I’ve been around.”

As for Kittle, he signed autographs pregame, hyped up teammates in warmups, then retreated to a bystander role on the sideline during games. Kittle, seven weeks since tearing his right Achilles in a wild-card playoff win at Philadelphia, was seen conditioning with vigor and impressive agility on a side field earlier this week.

STARTERS SIT

The 49ers started only a couple of potential offensive starters, one being Stribling. Meanwhile, Rob Jones started at left guard ahead of Connor Colby, who instead started at right guard; a third-down holding penalty on Jones stalled out the 49ers’ opening drive.

Defensively, potential starters who suited up were Jones, defensive tackle Alfred Collins, and Marquise Sigle.

JONES INJURED

Cornerback Jack Jones injured his right hand on the opening drive, helping stop Tyjae Spears on a 25-yard run into the red zone. Jones did not return to the game.

Jones has had a stellar camp and looked like a starting-caliber outside cornerback. Not suited up were incumbent starters Deommodore Lenoir, Renardo Green and nickel back Upton Stout.

Other sustaining injuries were linebacker Nick Martin (stinger) and safety Marques Sigle (oblique); cornerback Nate Hobbs did not play because of a groin injury that will keep him out this preseason.

DEFENSIVE ROOKIES

Although Romello Height got called for a hands-to-the-face penalty on the defense’s first snap, fellow rookie lineman Gracen Halton made multiple stops before halftime in his debut, and rookie linebacker Jaden Dugger made a solid open-field tackle of Cam Ward on a 2-yard scramble to the sideline.

FIRST TOUCHDOWN

Patrick Taylor Jr. scored the 49ers’ first touchdown of the preseason on a 1-yard run up the middle, tying the game at 7 midway through the second quarter. Rourke appeared to throw a touchdown pass on the previous play to Taylor, who was ruled out of bounds. The snap before that, Rourke tried to run the ball in himself, only to get stopped at the 1.

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