The San Francisco 49ers suffered a devastating loss in the middle of their Week 1 win over the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia, as rookie wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling suffered an ankle injury that knocked him out after just 21 snaps.
Now, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the 49ers are placing Stribling on injured reserve, which will cost him at least the next four games.
San Francisco took Stribling with the first pick in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft, and throughout training camp and the preseason, he looked primed for a great rookie campaign, as he caught 11 passes for 109 yards in two games.
Without him, the 49ers will be left with Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel, Demarcus Robinson, Jacob Cowing, Jordan Watkins and (reportedly)
KhaDarel Hodge at wide receiver on the 53-man roster. Welsey Grimes and Will Pauling are also on the team's practice squad.
San Francisco's opponents in the minimum four games that Stribling must miss are the Miami Dolphins, Arizona Cardinals, Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks. He's able to return against the Washington Commanders on Monday Night Football in Week 6.
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This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers placing top draft pick on IR after ankle injury
