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, quipping early doubts about the team’s recent draft choices.
If anyone spent the days leading up to Thursday sweating a sleepy, underwhelming joint practice against the Chargers in El Segundo, they fell for the NFL’s oldest August grift. The regular season is not won in shorts. It is built on depth, high-end baseline talent, and a refusal to look like a mess when actual game lights turn on.
San Francisco rolled into SoFi Stadium and stomped Los Angeles by 24 points. The starters played one series, reminded everyone why they command big money, and then grabbed baseball caps. The backups spent the rest of the night treating the reserve units like turnstiles, delivering a much-needed injection of optimism for a roster currently carrying half an orthopedic ward.
Stribling Continues to Shine Despite Dropped Touchdown
De’Zhaun Stribling made it look easy for the second straight week. The Ole Miss product caught four of his five targets for 46 yards against the Chargers. Working with both Brock Purdy and Mac Jones, the rookie wide receiver put his strong hands and route-running ability on full display.
Stribling was on the field for one series with Purdy, hauling in all three of his quarterback’s passes for 25 yards. On the second drive, paired with Mac Jones under center, he quickly pulled down a 21-yard pass.
The performance featured one blemish: a deep pass down the left sideline that slipped through Stribling’s hands for a missed touchdown. Head coach Kyle Shanahan addressed the drop after the final whistle, noting that while the rookie needs to make that play, the degree of difficulty was exceptionally high.
“That’s his strength, is his hands,” Shanahan said. “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, via NBC Sports Bay Area
Over two preseason games, Stribling has hauled in 11 of his 13 targets for 109 yards, validating the front office’s decision to spend the No. 33 overall pick on the wideout.
Black Brings Serious Power to the Backfield
Making his NFL preseason debut after sitting out the opener against the Tennessee Titans with an adductor strain, running back Kaelon Black provided an immediate physical spark. The third-round pick out of Indiana delivered a serious punch, finishing the night with eight carries for 33 yards.
Black displayed sharp decisiveness when running through the line of scrimmage. His longest gain of 9 yards came entirely through second-effort grit after defenders initially stopped him at the line. Shanahan expressed clear satisfaction with the rookie’s physical running style.
“I was real happy with him,” Shanahan said. “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, via NBC Sports Bay Area
Roster Battles Highlight Depth and Attrition
Thursday’s blowout win offered vital audition time for depth players fighting to secure a spot on the 53-man roster. Defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa wreaked havoc from the interior as an absolute menace from the jump, anchoring the defensive front alongside undrafted rookie standout James Thompson.
Mac Jones bounced back from lackluster practice sessions by ripping passes with confidence, showing a particular affinity for the Bang 8 route. In the offensive backfield, Sincere McCormick continued to reward John Lynch’s decision to sign him off the street amidst early camp attrition. With Patrick Taylor landing on season-long injured reserve, McCormick has effectively seized the fourth running back role.
Other roster hopefuls made high-stakes cases for themselves. Jacob Cowing returned a punt 83 yards for a touchdown, a brilliant sequence that could completely alter his trajectory as he fights to stay on the right side of roster cuts. At offensive line, Austen Pleasants logged valuable reps at left guard during a so-far fruitless battle for the starting job, though he exited the contest with an apparent knee injury after missing a crucial assignment that resulted in a pick-six.
Preseason Finale Beckons in Las Vegas
The decisive victory answers immediate questions about rookie adaptability, but San Francisco’s evaluation period is far from over.
The 49ers will wrap up their exhibition schedule on Thursday with a preseason finale against the Raiders in Las Vegas, where the coaching staff will make their final determinations on roster bubble candidates before real games begin.
