The easy thing to do in training camp is get carried away with the highlights. The smarter thing is to ask whether a receiver can do it against a different NFL defense, in a different setting, with a little more heat on the table. De'Zhaun Stribling passed that test on Tuesday, and he did it in a way that should make the San Francisco 49ers pay attention.
By the end of the 49ers' joint practice with the Tennessee Titans, Stribling had hauled in an estimated seven passes. That is not a meaningless number. It is the sort of output that says a rookie is not simply surviving the early stages of camp; he is finding ways to matter. For a player trying to build trust with Brock Purdy and Kyle Shanahan, that matters far more than a casual flash in an in-house drill.
Throughout training camp, Stribling has already done enough to become a reliable target for Purdy. Tuesday was the next step: different defenders, different looks, same result. Purdy made it clear why that matters. The quarterback said Stribling has shown the ability to make plays against a starting NFL defense, but he also stressed that this was a useful chance to switch things up, see him on time, running the offense properly, and doing the little things well. That is the key phrase here: doing his job.
Because this is not just about catches. Purdy said Stribling understands the game, understands leverages, coverages and concepts, and knows where he needs to be. He also praised the effort, noting the repeated routes, the back-to-back reps, and the work in the run game as a blocker. That is how a receiver earns more than a passing glance in camp. That is how he starts building trust.
There is still work to do
Of course, nobody inside the building is pretending Stribling has already arrived. Purdy said there are still routes to clean up, and Shanahan was just as direct about the learning curve. The head coach said the more Stribling is out there, the more confident he will get, and made the blunt point that he expects the rookie to fail more than a few times in practice before he truly settles in. That is not criticism for the sake of it. It is realism.
And yet the larger message is obvious enough. Shanahan said the 49ers truly believe Stribling is made of the right stuff, and he went a step further by saying the aim is to have him ready for Week 1. That is the real storyline here. The preseason opener on Thursday night against the Tennessee Titans at Levi's Stadium is one thing. Being ready when the games count is another. The fact that Stribling is even in that conversation tells you how much ground he has covered already.
So yes, Tuesday was only a joint practice. But it was a useful one, maybe even an important one. Stribling did not just catch passes. He looked like a rookie who is beginning to understand what it takes to earn a place in this offense. If that carries into Thursday night and then into Week 1, the 49ers will have something they can actually build on.
