What is going on with Dante Pettis? Earlier this offseason, "experts" were picking the San Francisco 49ers' second-year wide receiver to be a potential breakout player for the team. Since then, he has had an up and down offseason and was held without a catch during the preseason until a three-catch, 36-yard performance on Saturday night against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Our own Richard Madrid even felt the need to examine if Pettis is struggling. Go ahead and give it a read. I'll wait.
Pettis hauled in 27 passes for 467 receiving yards with five touchdowns during the 2018 season despite an injury-plagued rookie campaign.
Pettis didn't use the word "struggling" on Monday while speaking with reporters but he also wasn't surprised by head coach Kyle Shanahan's comments over the weekend. Pettis played into the fourth quarter against the Chiefs. That was a strange sight considering the receiver was once a no-brainer pick to be one of the 49ers' starting wideouts this season.
The coach was asked on Sunday why Pettis played so long into Saturday's game.
"Just because I believe he needed to be," Shanahan responded. "He's still trying to earn a role on this team, and he's still trying to show us what he's capable of doing, consistently."
Pettis told reporters on Monday that he needs to play with more urgency and do a better job executing what is asked of him. The wide receiver group is filled with talent, more than the 49ers can keep on the 53-man roster.
"I get it," Pettis told Cam Inman of Bay Area News Group, "I've had [the criticism] my whole life. My dad's a coach, so I know that's how it goes."
Pettis knows Shanahan is being critical of him, and understandably so. He knows there are aspects of his game that need adjusting, like the way he runs.
"With me, the way I run is so long and smooth, a lot of times it looks like I'm not going full speed," Pettis said. "So (I'm) shortening up my stride. I'm still covering the same ground. It looks different and it's easier to set up routes that way."
Pettis did not practice on Monday because he is dealing with what he described as a "minor groin issue."
The 49ers have one more practice scheduled for Tuesday at 2:25 p.m. PT. The team will hold a walkthrough on Wednesday before Thursday night's preseason finale, a matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers at Levi's Stadium.
NFL teams have to cut their rosters down to 53 players by Saturday at 1 p.m. PT.
