Niners Nation on De'Zhaun Stribling

Article49ers Mailbag: Should the team get more defensive line help? What’s up with the...November 7, 2026

From the article

De'Zhaun Stribling could also be a good option, but for reasons I just outlined, they may want him fresh for the offense and not on return duty because they aren't going to be able to rely on Mike Evans for every play.

Captured by STACKED 11 min after posting

STACKED’s take

NeutralRole

Stribling could return punts but likely kept fresh for offensive role.

The source identifies De'Zhaun Stribling as another potential punt returner option, but notes the 49ers may prefer to keep him fresh for offensive duties rather than assign him return responsibilities. This is because the team cannot rely on Mike Evans for every offensive play, making Stribling's availability on offense a priority.