Quarterback Brock Purdy’s preseason debut was extended Thursday night when the 49ers’ offense produced three first downs on its opening drive.
Meanwhile, Jim Harbaugh’s Los Angeles Chargers had their offense on the field for one series, too. But quarterback Justin Herbert took just three snaps, as the 49ers’ defense did not allow the Chargers’ first team to move the chains.
As is typical of the exhibition season, the reserves were the key players in the 49ers’ 41-17 win at SoFi Stadium.
The Chargers had the advantage when the teams met in a joint practice on Tuesday. But the 49ers had the upper hand in the action under the lights.
In Purdy’s first preseason action, he took 12 snaps and completed four of six pass attempts for 29 yards before turning it over to 49ers reserve quarterbacks Mac Jones and Adrian Martinez, who helped San Francisco pile it on with a 9-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter.
Running back Sincere McCormick, battling for one of the final spots on the 49ers’ roster, provided highlights, with a 37-yard run to set up his own 7-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. Another running back, Khalil Herbert, re-signed with the 49ers earlier in the day and scored on a 1-yard run in the third quarter.
Here are three takeaways from the 49ers’ second preseason game:
Stribling, new third-down target
So long, Jauan.
Welcome, Third & De’Zhaun.
Rookie wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling kept the chains moving for the 49ers on the opening two drives of the game. He converted third-down opportunities from Purdy and Jones.
During Jauan Jennings’ five seasons with the 49ers, he distinguished himself as a reliable third-down target. But his time with the organization ended after last season. He signed a one-year contract with the Minnesota Vikings this offseason as a free agent.
The 49ers might have found a more explosive version of Jennings with their selection of Stribling, the No. 33 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Stribling got off to a nice start last week in San Francisco’s exhibition opener with seven catches for 63 yards against Tennessee.
On Thursday, he caught four passes, three of which were third-down conversions, for 46 yards. His first two chain-moving catches came from Purdy. He also had a 21-yard reception from Mac Jones on a third-and-6 situation.
All was not perfect, though. Stribling failed to haul in an over-the-shoulder-pass on a perfectly thrown deep ball from Jones a short time later.
Cowing separates himself
Deebo Samuel entered the picture Thursday as part of the competition to fill the all-important role of fielding punts.
But it was Jacob Cowing, the 49ers’ primary return man in 2024, who made the strongest case with an 83-yard punt return for a touchdown in the second quarter.
Cowing held that job as a rookie, averaging a respectable 8.8 yards on 28 punt returns in 2024. He also had 11 fair catches.
But Cowing sustained a hamstring injury early in the first practice of training camp last summer. He aggravated the injury and ended up missing the entire season. The 49ers acquired Skyy Moore in an Aug. 21 trade with Kansas City, and Moore took over as the 49ers’ punt returner.
Moore is gone. He signed a free-agent contract with the Green Bay Packers, opening the door for a competition this summer. Cowing missed time in camp with a hip-flexor injury, but he made a strong case Thursday night to regain his old job. But Cowing let another opportunity get away when he dropped a third-down pass from Adrian Martinez in the third quarter.
Meanwhile, Samuel was back deep for the first two Chargers punts of the game. A short punt fell in front of him after the Chargers’ opening-possession three-and-out. Later, Samuel showed his inexperience when he made a fair catch at the 12-yard line on a play in which he appeared to have plenty of room for a return. Samuel has never returned a punt in an NFL game.
Jones becomes valuable insurance
Cornerback Renardo Green, who is being pushed to retain his starting job, might have suffered a major setback on Thursday night. Veteran cornerback Jack Jones entered the game at the start of the second quarter.
It is never a good sign when a player exits any game with a hamstring injury. And that is what happened in the first quarter of the 49ers’ game against the Chargers when Green left the lineup.
Chargers rookie receiver Brenen Thompson, a fourth-round pick from Mississippi State, had a couple of steps on Green on a deep route. Former 49ers quarterback Trey Lance was off-target and the pass fell incomplete. But that is likely the play on which Green felt something in his hamstring.
The 49ers open the regular season on Sept. 10 in Melbourne, Australia, against the Los Angeles Rams. If Green must miss extended practice time, the 49ers might have no choice but to turn to Jones in that key NFC West matchup.
Jones is entering his fifth NFL season. He started 33 of 34 games over the past two seasons with Las Vegas and Miami. He has eight career interceptions, four of which he returned for touchdowns.
Jones made a play — albeit, a borderline penalty — to break up a Lance pass intended for KeAndre Lambert-Smith in the end zone in the second quarter. He has put together a strong training camp with multiple interceptions and pass breakups.
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