San Francisco 49ers rookie wide receiver De’Zeon Sterling will be placed on injured reserve and will miss at least four weeks with a left ankle injury, according to a league source who spoke on condition of anonymity because the news has not yet been made public.
Sterling, taken by the Niners with the 33rd pick in the 2026 NFL draft, sprained his ankle twice in last week’s season-opening win over the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia. He first got attention in the sideline medical tent and returned to the field. He then collapsed on a non-contact play and needed help to reach the sideline before being taken to the locker room with a shoe and sock on his left foot.
Coach Kyle Shanahan said after the game that Striling’s Achilles tendon was intact, but further testing was needed to determine the extent of the ankle injury. Tests revealed a ruptured deltoid tendon, according to a team source who was not authorized to speak publicly.
Stribling, 23, had an excellent training camp and preseason, including 11 receptions for 109 yards in a handful of quarterbacks in two exhibition games. He was leading 49ers receivers with 21 offensive snaps against the Rams in the second quarter, even though no passes were thrown.
The 49ers won 27-7Brock Purdy threw three touchdowns, one each to DeMarcus Robinson, Mike Evans and Debo Samuels.
The Niners lost wide receiver Ricky Pears, who underwent season-ending knee surgery early in training camp. Christian Kirk, who opened the season on injured reserve after suffering a calf injury on the first day of camp, will practice after Week 2 and be eligible to play starting in Week 5. He is expected to primarily line up in the slot when he returns from IR.
San Francisco has young receivers Jordan Watkins and Jacob Cowing on the roster, while veteran Kadrell Hodge will be promoted from the practice squad to the active roster after being promoted to the opener in Melbourne, a league source said.
This story will be updated.