Dante Pettis did enough during training camp and the days that followed to earn a spot on the San Francisco 49ers' initial 53-man roster. The third-year receiver had a disappointing sophomore campaign following an impressive rookie year and was inactive during Super Bowl LIV.
It sounds like Pettis has turned things around, regaining the trust of the 49ers coaching staff.
"I'm really proud of Dante, and the commitment he made this offseason," general manager John Lynch said Sunday during a conference call with reporters. "I think he was disappointed, as were we, in what transpired last year, and what didn't transpire. There's no one to blame for that, but how do you fix it? You go to work."
Pettis hauled in 27 passes for 467 yards with five scores during his rookie 2018 season. That dropped to 11 catches for 109 yards with two touchdowns last season.
"Dante, to his credit, because we didn't have a traditional offseason, put that work in, and I just think he did what he needed to do, physically," Lynch continued. "I think he's a stronger football player. And then I think the biggest thing from a mentality, he's hungry, and that has shown on the field.
"I remember, at the start of camp, he was having a good day, then not a bad day, but not as good a day. And about, it felt like a week into camp, the consistency just clicked.
"We could see from day one, his mentality was different, and he was doing some of the things that were asked of him. He had already done that, in a way, prepared his body. But then the consistency clicked in, and ... the guy that we were so excited to draft and add to our team started to show up on that field."
Now Pettis has to take his practice performances and show the same intensity during games. The 49ers general manager sounded confident the receiver could do that.
"You've got to go now do it when it counts," Lynch added. "But every indication is he's going to be a big part of what we're doing. I'm really proud of the young man for the way he's prepared himself, and when you do that, it gives you a chance to be successful. Now he's got to go make the most of that opportunity."
Et cetera: The 49ers removed wide receiver J.J. Nelson (knee) from injured reserve with an injury settlement.
