Injuries Give Dante Pettis Vital Second Chance
Expectations in 2019 were too high for second-year wide receiver Dante Pettis after his great rookie season. Over the final five games of 2018, the second-round pick had 359 yards and four touchdowns.
Labeled as the de facto No. 1 receiver last training camp, Pettis was perplexingly sidelined in the regular season. As the season went on, Kyle Shanahan’s decision became more prescient.
Pettis was quickly jumped on the depth chart by Deebo Samuel, Kendrick Bourne and Richie James Jr. And in order to fill that go-to wide-out job, the 49ers were forced to trade for veteran Emmanuel Sanders.
Pettis’ 11 catches for 109 yards and two touchdowns would’ve made for an impressive game, but that was his entire 2019 statistical output.
Now heading into his third NFL season, Pettis faces a make-or-break year. After a few injuries to teammates, he has a great chance away from the spotlight to reclaim the lost excitement on both offense and special teams.
Injuries to Samuel, James and even defensive back D.J. Reed have opened up opportunities.
All three are expected to miss some, if not all of training camp. Samuel and James’ absences present plenty of wide receiver snaps. Although both should be back for most of the regular season, Pettis could use the extra training-camp chances to work his way back up the depth chart.
Despite inconsistent production, he has big-play potential. He averages 15.2 yards per reception and is third on the team in receiving touchdowns (seven) since 2018.
Pettis has a knack for providing heroics and finding the end zone. He caught the game-winning touchdown pass against Pittsburgh (Week 3), and was the difference against Arizona (Week 9).
One non-statistical contribution Pettis provided was his run-blocking. He was on the field for seven of San Francisco’s eight rushing touchdowns to start the year. Yes, some of those runs didn’t require his best blocks, but he wasn’t a liability either.
What might be most important for Pettis, however, is his chance to finally become the team’s returner. James and Reed’s injuries create a severe need for a dynamic and reliable returner. Who better than the NCAA FBS all-time punt return touchdown leader?
While at Washington, Pettis returned nine punts for touchdowns, breaking Antonio Perkins and current 49ers wide receivers coach Wes Welker’s record.
Pettis' biggest competition for snaps on both offense and special teams might be Trent Taylor, who also dealt with a lost 2019. Taylor missed the whole season with a foot injury. But unlike Pettis, Taylor is limited to the slot on offense and is much less lethal in the return game.
Pettis needs a big camp to erase the headaches caused last year. Another inconsistent training camp could make a comeback, at least with San Francisco, unlikely.
It takes just a few good days to build momentum and earn back responsibility. Expectations were too high last season. The 49ers learned he’s not a No. 1, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be a quality NFL player.
Maybe a few confidence-building practices, with lowered expectations, will help him find the consistency that has escaped him in the NFL.
