49ers WR De’Zhaun Stribling To Miss A Month

Stribling, 23, went down in San Francisco’s regular-season opener on Thursday night. Head coach Kyle Shanahan said after the game that the No. 33 overall pick did not suffer an Achilles tear but would require further testing.

The 49ers thought highly enough of Stribling to make him the first pick in the second round in April’s draft. He was coming off back-to-back campaigns with at least 800 receiving yards and six touchdowns. He ran a 4.36-second 40-yard dash at the Combine at 6-foot-2 and 207 pounds, giving him a rare blend of size and speed that Shanahan was planning to feature in his offense. Stribling impressed in training camp and his two preseason appearances with 109 yards on 11 catches. Shanahan even saw fit to start Stribling in Week 1, though the rookie did not receive a target or touch in his NFL debut before going down.

With Stribling sidelined, the 49ers will rely even more on Mike Evans and Deebo Samuel to lead their receiving corps. Demarcus Robinson, who caught a huge 39-yard touchdown on Thursday, will step into the WR3 role, while Jacob Cowing and Jordan Watkins – the latter of whom was inactive in Week 1 – could receive a few more looks, too.

The 49ers have no shortage of weapons, as long as they can stay healthy. Running back Christian McCaffrey will be expected to produce more than his five receptions for 20 yards, and tight end George Kittle getting back to full strength from last year’s Achilles injury will allow him to take on a bigger target share.

San Franciso could also be dealing with a significant absence from tight end Jake Tonges, who suffered a knee injury on Thursday that Shanahan said (via NBC Sports’ Matt Maiocco) “wasn’t good.” As with Stribling, additional testing will be required to determine the extent of the injury – and how long Tonges will be sidelined.