The San Francisco 49ers dominated their rival Los Angeles Rams in Week 1, defeating the preseason Super Bowl favorites 27-7 in Melbourne, Australia. But it came at a cost. 49ers rookie wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling left in the second quarter with what was later diagnosed as a left ankle deltoid ligament sprain. It's an unusual injury, and one that was still expected to keep him sidelined for a while, though far better than the Achilles tear that was initially speculated.
On Wednesday, the 49ers made it official, placing Stribling on injured reserve, which will keep him out for at least the next four games. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported shortly after that San Francisco has signed veteran wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge to its 53-man roster. There was some hope Stribling might avoid the IR stint after it was reported his injury wouldn't require surgery, but it looks like the 49ers are playing it safe with their rookie wideout.
More news: Sean Payton Assigns Blame After Broncos’ Blowout Loss to Chiefs There was a ton of hype coming into Week 1 surrounding Stribling. He looked good in the preseason, coaches were raving about him, and San Francisco was desperate for stability at the position after losing both Ricky Pearsall and Christian Kirk before the regular season even kicked off. There was a clear pathway to targets for Stribling, and he was on the field a lot before going down with the injury against the Rams.
Now, San Francisco will have to manage without its top rookie for at least the next month. Hodge signed a one-year deal with the 49ers in August and was added to the practice squad after the final roster cutdown at the end of the month. He's never served as more than a depth piece across his now nine seasons in the NFL, but depth is all San Francisco needs right now.
More news: Ravens Bracing to be Without Top Lamar Jackson Weapon for At Least 1 Month More news: Insider Names Top 2 Teams to Watch for Joey Porter Jr Trade Both Mike Evans and Deebo Samuel looked good in the season opener, and George Kittle will only get better as he continues recovering from his torn Achilles. Demarcus Robinson remains a capable pass-catcher and reliable fourth option, so it's best to let Stribling rest up now so he's ready for the back half of the season. The 49ers' next stretch of games is manageable as well, with three straight home games against the Dolphins, Cardinals, and Broncos.
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