San Francisco 49ers rookies De’Zhaun Stribling and Kaelon Black delivered standout performances during a 41-17 preseason blowout win over the Los Angeles Chargers on August 21, 2026, at SoFi Stadium, sparking optimism about the team’s depth and high-end baseline talent as the regular season approaches.
De’Zhaun Stribling Shows Impressive Hands and Route Running
Rookie wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling continued his strong preseason trajectory during San Francisco’s dominant victory in Inglewood. The Ole Miss product caught four of his five targets for 46 yards against the Chargers according to NBC Sports Bay Area. Early in the contest, Stribling shared the field with starting quarterback Brock Purdy, hauling in all three of his targets for 25 yards. When Mac Jones took over under center on the second drive, the rookie quickly secured a 21-yard reception on the third play.
Despite flashing reliable tracking ability and strong hands on contested routes, Stribling missed out on a potential touchdown when he could not haul in a deep throw from Jones near the left corner of the end zone. 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan addressed the dropped pass in his postgame remarks, emphasizing that the mistake was uncharacteristic for the young receiver.
“That’s his strength, is his hands,” Shanahan said of Stribling’s dropped TD pass after the game. “It was one Mac let go of really early. When you call a double move down there, you’ll get that ball up and down, and Mac threw it about as early as you can, so I don’t think [Stribling] picked it up until it was about 3 yards away from him which makes it a real tough catch, but he’s got the ability to do it, so he needs to come down with that one.”
Kyle Shanahan, 49ers coach
Shanahan added context to the near-miss, noting that Jones released the ball very early on the double-move route. As Shanahan explained after the game, Stribling likely did not pick up the flight of the ball until it was roughly three yards away, making it an exceptionally difficult catch even for a player with his physical abilities. Across two preseason outings, Stribling has totaled 11 receptions on 13 targets for 109 yards.
Kaelon Black Delivers Physical Running in Preseason Debut
Running back Kaelon Black made his NFL preseason debut after sitting out the opening exhibition against the Tennessee Titans due to an adductor strain. The Indiana product recorded eight carries for 33 yards as reported by NBC Sports Bay Area, demonstrating notable decisiveness and physical running style between the tackles. His longest run of nine yards highlighted his persistence on second effort after initial contact at the line of scrimmage.
Shanahan expressed satisfaction with the rookie’s performance given his limited practice time coming off the injury.
“I was real happy with him,” Shanahan said of Black after the win. “Seeing him for his first practice there on Tuesday versus the Chargers you could see it a little bit, and I thought nothing changed today. I thought he ran real physical. Would love to keep him in there a little bit longer, but with it being his second day back, I wanted to be smart with him.”
Kyle Shanahan, 49ers coach
Shanahan noted during his postgame availability that Black maintained his physical momentum from his first practice back against the Chargers on Tuesday. The coach admitted he would have liked to keep the running back on the field longer, but exercised caution during Black’s second day back from injury.
Roster Depth and Standout Performers in Inglewood
The blowout victory allowed San Francisco’s reserves and younger roster hopefuls to gain extensive game experience after the starters played just one series. Players like defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa and undrafted rookie defensive tackle James Thompson made persistent impacts in the trenches. On special teams, wide receiver Jacob Cowing bolstered his roster prospects by returning a punt 83 yards for a touchdown.
Meanwhile, running back Sincere McCormick strengthened his case for a roster spot following early-camp backfield attrition, securing the fourth running back role after Patrick Taylor was placed on season-long injured reserve. Austen Pleasants also saw action at left guard amid a battle for the starting position, though he exited the game with a knee injury after missing an assignment that resulted in a pick-six touchdown. The 49ers will look to carry this momentum into their preseason finale against the Raiders in Las Vegas.
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