{"id":6757,"date":"2026-08-14T06:08:37","date_gmt":"2026-08-14T06:08:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=6757"},"modified":"2026-08-14T06:08:37","modified_gmt":"2026-08-14T06:08:37","slug":"stribling-rourke-show-off-in-49ers-debuts-shanahan-on-sideline-as-usual","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=6757","title":{"rendered":"Stribling, Rourke show off in 49ers debuts; Shanahan on sideline as usual"},"content":{"rendered":"

SANTA CLARA \u2013 Hello, De\u2019Zhaun Stribling.<\/p>\n

Stribling, the 49ers\u2019 top draft pick at No. 33 overall, made about as positive a first impression as possible in his NFL debut, that being Thursday night\u2019s 19-13, preseason-opening loss to the Tennessee Titans.<\/p>

Read more East Oakland fire displaces 25 people, kills two dogs<\/a><\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t just that Stribling racked up seven receptions on eight targets through the first 1 \u00bd 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.<\/p>\n

Stribling made an immediate impact from the game\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

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\u2019Dale Flott.<\/p>\n

\u201cI 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,\u201d Stribling said. \u201c\u201dThe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Earlier, Stribling also made a 9-yard, contested catch against Flott.<\/p>\n

Wearing the No. 15 jersey vacated by Jauan Jennings\u2019 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: \u201cHappy that it worked out. I thought I was (in bounds). That was the whole goal of the whole thing.\u201d<\/p>

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Stribling\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

ROURKE EXCELS BUT HURT<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rourke\u2019s rib injury, presumably from getting hit on a run to the 1-yard line, required a hospital visit for further examination after the stadium\u2019s X-ray machine did not reveal a fracture. Shanahan said Rourke was having difficulty breathing and came out after three series,\u00a0replaced by Adrian Martinez midway through the second quarter.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe 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,\u201d Shanahan said. \u201cHe got to the sideline after we scored and they said they needed to take him in to look at his rib. It didn\u2019t 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.\u201d<\/p>

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Neither Brock Purdy nor backup quarterback Mac Jones suited up, so if Martinez hadn\u2019t been able to finish out the game, tight end Brayden Willis got prepped for emergency duty that would have entailed strictly handoffs, Shanahan said.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

SHANAHAN, KITTLE APPEAR<\/strong><\/p>\n

Shanahan stood at the 50-yard line on the 49ers\u2019 sideline next to George Kittle just before kickoff. That duo has represented the 49ers\u2019 biggest health concerns coming into training camp \u2026 into this preseason \u2026 and into the regular season that starts in four weeks in Melbourne, Australia.<\/p>

Read more Data center might get tucked away inside downtown Oakland office site<\/a><\/p>\n

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

Shanahan\u2019s health is the more known entity, as he\u2019s 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. \u201cEvaluating my health is somewhat embarrassing and I think getting old to everybody,\u201d Shanahan said Tuesday. \u201cSo, don\u2019t take it personal. I\u2019m trying not to (discuss it) anymore. I was messed up, and I\u2019m getting a lot better.\u201d<\/p>\n

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. \u201cIt really felt the same as last year,\u201d Shanahan said. \u201cI have a lot of confidence in Klay. He does as good a job at it as anyone I\u2019ve been around.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

STARTERS SIT<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\u2019 opening drive.<\/p>\n

Defensively, potential starters who suited up were Jones, defensive tackle Alfred Collins, and Marquise Sigle.<\/p>\n