Kyle Shanahan Delivers Brutal Injury News on 2 Key 49ers

Unreal.

Sep 11, 2026; Melbourne, AUS; San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan in the first half at Melbourne Cricket Ground. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

49ers coach Kyle Shanahan delivered brutal injury news on rookie De'Zhaun Stribling and Jake Tonges on Wednesday.

Shanahan shared that both players will be placed on the Injured Reserve list. Let's start with Stribling, who exited Week 1 against the Rams with an ankle injury.

Stribling suffered a deltoid ligament injury in his ankle, which required surgery today. The 49ers expect the rookie to be out for nearly 10 weeks.

De’Zhaun Stribling -
DOS: 9/16/26

Deltoid Ligament repair given 10 weeks RTP timeline. It must be a partial repair, which fits the earlier discussion of rehab vs surgery options.

Honest take: glad it’s fixed so hopefully it doesn’t cause problems later on. https://t.co/tP8bsfwgpm

— Jeff Mueller, PT, DPT (@jmthrivept) September 16, 2026

Earlier today, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Stribling would be going on Injured Reserve. That was to be expected.

However, the takeaway from that was that Stribling would be out for at least four games and maybe one or two more. It was a variable, in a sense.

But now that Shanahan has delivered this brutal news that Stribling needs surgery and will be out for nearly 10 weeks is demoralizing. Stribling was primed for a solid season.

The excitement for him was built up from his preseason showcase. Now, he gets put on the shelf for the majority of the season.

As for Tonges, he suffered a knee injury while attempting to block Myles Garrett. Like Stribling, he also didn't finish the game.

Unfortunately for Tonges, he tore his MCL and is expected to miss the rest of the season. The tight end room gets thinner. This explains why the 49ers brought up Brayden Willis from the practice squad.

They knew Tonges was done for the season. It's just a bummer that he's not going to be a part of this season after the promising one he had in 2025.

Tonges will have his eyes set on bouncing back for the 2027 season, while Stribling will have his fingers crossed to return to the 49ers in December.

One thing the 49ers absolutely cannot do is rush Stribling back. Shanahan said "nearly 10 weeks," but it should be a definite 10 weeks, and maybe a bit more.

The last thing the 49ers want to do is allow him to return when he's not fully fit. If he's going to be one of their wide receivers of the future, then they have to tread carefully with him.

I think they're already doing that, which is why Stribling got the surgery. Unlike with Ricky Pearsall, the 49ers didn't take any chances and see if he could heal on his own.

Maybe it wasn't a situation where healing alone would suffice. Nevertheless, it's great that the 49ers and Stribling are nipping this in the bud.

Fingers crossed his recovery goes smoothly.

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