By admin 
Only four likely starters played for the 49ers in their preseason opener Thursday against the Tennessee Titans, but one was particularly important and encouraging.
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Rookie receiver De’Zhaun Stribling played his first NFL game action and backed up his strong performance in training camp with a seven-catch, 62-yard performance during San Francisco’s first three series before coaches gave him the rest of the night off. The Titans went on to win 19-13.
Stribling, the first draft pick in the second round of the NFL draft in April, looked every bit a starting receiver, particularly with the 49ers missing 2024 first-round draftee Ricky Pearsall out for the season with a knee injury.
Stribling made catches in traffic over the middle, deep and tight-roped the sideline converting a third-and-6 while pushing through a pair of Titans defenders. He was also responsible for the highlight of the first half, catching a 32-yard deep ball from quarterback Kurtis Rourke on his outside shoulder, needing to adjust the pass mid-flight.
De’Zhaun Stribling is living up to all the hype!
Already has 6 receptions. And my dawg Kurtis Rourke is cooking! pic.twitter.com/YaU0QQNez2— ΛWTHΞИƬIK (@awthentik) August 14, 2026
Stribling came into the league with good size (6-foot-2, 207 pounds) and ran a quick 4.36 in the 40-yard dash, and showed he might help the 49ers improve their 10th-worst explosive play rate from last season (5.1%). He’s played mostly out of the slot where Jauan Jennings left a vacancy when he signed with the Minnesota Vikings in the offseason.
The 49ers received heavy criticism for taking Stribling when they did, with many draft analysts believing he was a late-second or third-round prospect. If Stribling contributes as a starter in his rookie season, the 49ers will be just fine with where they took him.
Fellow receiver Jordan Watkins had a productive game, making six catches on 10 targets for 59 yards. Watkins is hoping to earn a role in his second season. He was first up at punt returner.
Rourke makes his case in pro debut
Thursday marked Rourke’s first game action since the College Football Playoff in December 2024 when his Indiana Hoosiers lost to Notre Dame. He played on a torn ACL that required surgery and missed all of 2025 after the 49ers made him a seventh-round pick with an eye toward the future.
The 25-year-old made a strong case to hold on to the No. 3 job behind Brock Purdy and Mac Jones. He completed 12 of 14 for 101 yards and ran for 14 yards on three attempts.
The 49ers are hoping Rourke can take over the backup job, perhaps in 2027, given Jones is set for free agency next spring.
It’s unclear how long Rourke’s injury will keep him sidelined. It’s likely the 49ers will want to give Purdy and Jones at least some snaps over the final two preseason games, with Adrian Martinez available as the fourth quarterback.
Rookies on defense show they belong
Fifth-round draft pick Jaden Dugger got the start at linebacker and made a nice tackle on Titans quarterback Cam Ward in the open field on the first drive. Fourth-round pick Ephesians Prysock was forced into action at cornerback early because Jack Jones left with a hand injury and made a nice pass breakup at the goal line against No. 4 overall draft pick Carnell Tate.
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Fourth-round pick Gracen Halton had three straight good plays in the second quarter, including when he ran over Peter Skoronski, who signed a four-year, $100-million contract extension in the offseason, with a sack that was negated by a holding penalty in the secondary. Halton then had a good run stop for no gain on the next play, and hit Ward on a third-down incompletion.
Prysock might only be needed for injury with Deommodore Lenoir and Renardo Green starting, but Dugger could be one of the team’s top three or four linebackers while Halton could work into the rotation as an interior pass rusher.
A question mark on the offensive line
The 49ers’ first drive of the night ended with a punt largely because of a holding call on left guard Robert Jones, who surpassed Connor Colby in the battle for the starting job early in training camp. Jones was called for a hold on star defensive tackle Jeffrey Simmons, who was a handful for the 49ers’ line during joint practice on Tuesday.
Their second drive was hurt by a false start on Brandon Parker before a fourth-and-1 attempt, which led to Kyle Shanahan electing to punt.
Jones was the only possible starter along the offensive line who played Thursday while the other four — Trent Williams, Jake Brendel, Dominic Puni and Colton McKivitz — sat out. It’s clear the 49ers need to see more from Jones, Colby or rookie fourth-round pick Carver Willis to feel good about the situation at left guard.
Rough showing for the running game
The running game was predictable rough in the early going given the 49ers’ have been practicing without their top four running backs of late. Starter Patrick Taylor, who scored a short touchdown, had minus-5 yards on five carries with a long of one yard.
On the night, the 49ers averaged 3.0 yards per carry, with Rourke and Martinez finishing second and third on the team in rushing. In the first half, Sincere McCormick led the team with 26 yards on seven carries (3.7-yard average) while the team averaged 2.8 yards per carry.
The 49ers will plan to run the ball more efficiently when the regular season starts, when they’ll presumably have Christian McCaffrey, Jordan James and Kaelon Black headlining the running back group.
The wild card could be Isaac Guerendo, who remains on the physically unable to perform list with a pectoral injury suffered in the spring.
Odds and ends
Punter Corliss Waitman appears to have won the job after the 49ers released fellow punter Jack Bouwmeester before Thursday’s game. Waitman had three punts downed inside the 20-yard line, including two inside the 10 in the first half.
Tatum Bethune appears to have been passed on the depth chart by Garrett Wallow at middle linebacker. Wallow got the start and broke down the pre-game huddle. Bethune still had a strong night and appears in line for a roster spot. He had six tackles on the night, including a sack where he blew up a running back before getting to Will Levis.
Reserve linebacker Larry Worth III defensive tackle James Thompson combined for a second-half sack. Both are undrafted rookies with a chance to stick around on the practice squad.
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