Dante Pettis effectively disappeared last season. He was supposed to be a breakout star after a strong end to his rookie campaign in 2018. Instead, his playing time dwindled toward the middle of the season and fizzled out entirely by Week 12. The 49ers made him inactive for Super Bowl LIV.
Now, Pettis has re-emerged in this year’s training camp. He told reporters on Friday that the 49ers’ decision to deactivate him before the biggest game of his life became the biggest factor in motivating him this offseason.
“If that doesn’t change the way someone approaches the offseason, they don’t really want to be in the NFL, I don’t think,” Pettis said via ESPN’s Nick Wagoner. “So, there’s not too many things worse than that football-wise that could get you going. Being inactive for the Super Bowl, that was kind of like the final straw, you could say.”
The changes he made over the offseason haven’t gone unnoticed by head coach Kyle Shanahan, who said Thursday he immediately noticed a change in the third-year receiver.
“When he came in, I saw him right away when he came in and we got to talk and you could just tell his mindset, how his body was, that he spent the time away from us doing everything he could to put himself in a position to make this team and to be as successful as he can be,” Shanahan told reporters in a post-practice video conference. “So, I’ve been very proud of Dante so far and I think it showed. I think he had his best practice yesterday or two days ago since he’s been here, like you said. I know he got a lot of balls and a lot of opportunities, but it wasn’t just that. It was his demeanor, the way he played, the aggression and his routes and everything. I’ve been very pleased with Dante so far.”
Pettis, a second-round pick in 2018, got plenty of opportunities last year. He averaged about 46 snaps per game between Week 2 and Week 6, but he churned out only eight catches and 76 yards on 16 targets in that span.
His average snap count dipped to 24 the following three weeks. He saw action on just nine total snaps the next two weeks, and he didn’t play again after Week 12.
This offseason was make-or-break for Pettis. The 49ers’ receiving corps already needed depth, and Pettis was in a spot to either carve out a role or wind up getting cut. Injuries at receiver made it a position of real concern for San Francisco, which is why Pettis stepping up became such a fortunate turn for the club.
Having the right mindset going into camp is one thing. Transitioning it to games, earning consistent snaps and producing is going to be more difficult. If Pettis can do that — the 49ers could be in a situation where receiver becomes one of their biggest strengths instead of their biggest weaknesses.
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