What the Biggest Overreaction Is to 49ers' Preseason Opener

Pump the brakes on this.

Aug 13, 2026; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Kurtis Rourke (14) throws a pass to San Francisco 49ers wide receiver De'zhaun Stribling (15) during a game against the Tennessee Titans in the first quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It’s impossible not to be encouraged by the 49ers preseason opener against the Titans. There were way more positives than negatives from it, especially with the rookies.

If that game was any indication of what the regular season will be like with those players who performed well, then the 49ers will be in a great situation. However, that’s an enormous “if.” Preseason games don’t give a strong indication.

That’s not what it’s for anyway. The preseason is meant to provide an idea of what players look like — not to draw conclusions from it. Yet there seems to be an overreaction to the game, specifically with De’Zhaun Stribling.

Stribling’s outing is the biggest overreaction 

August 13, 2026; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver De'zhaun Stribling (15) is tackled by Tennessee Titans cornerback Alontae Taylor (24) during the first quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Without question, Stribling had an impressive game. He demonstrated tough catching ability, speed, and a bit of lethal ball-carrying. That led him to tally seven catches for 63 yards in the game.

It’s fair to be encouraged and excited about it, but it can’t go beyond that. There have been delusional posts about Stribling’s performance, as if the 49ers are already validated for drafting him.

Stribling was a polarizing draft selection made by the 49ers at No. 33. They were hit with a tsunami of criticism for reaching for Stribling and not going with “consensus” experts. 

The 49ers would love to stick it to those critics, myself included. But to do a victory lap on a preseason performance is sad and laughable. There’s nothing Stribling can do in the preseason to validate his draft status.

That won’t begin to happen until the regular season. And even then, it won’t derive from a single game. The entire season will need to be taken into account. That’s the first step.

A draft pick isn’t validated until multiple seasons. It’s difficult to know after one season. In fact, it’s impossible. There have been plenty of examples of a rookie looking amazing in the first year and plummeting the next.

No one should be drawing a fraction of a conclusion about Stribling or any of the other rookies this year, let alone a preseason half. That’s just brainwashing at that point. 

Stribling performed very well. There’s a lot to be encouraged about with him, and he gave everyone a lot to look forward to in the regular season. But will he actually look like this? Will he prove his worth?

There’s no telling until games that actually matter are played.

---

Follow Jose on X (Twitter) @JS3sanchezz and his YouTube channel to interact with him on the 49ers and more.