Bear Necessities: Dante Pettis has made his case for a roster spot

Dante Pettis had a strong preseason for the Bears, and he’s someone who has a chance to lock down one of those final roster spots.

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The Chicago Bears wrapped the preseason are in the midst of making some difficult decisions as they trim their roster down to 53 players.

There are a number of roster bubble players who have made strong impressions this preseason in hopes of securing a roster spot. That includes Dante Pettis, who has taken advantage of injuries at the wide receiver position.

“It sucks when people get hurt, but it’s football,” Pettis said. “I’ve been hurt; someone else behind me has stepped up. So that’s kind of how the game goes.”

Pettis has elevated his stock with a strong preseason, including in Saturday’s finale against the Cleveland Browns. Pettis had three receptions for 37 yards and a 12-yard touchdown from quarterback Justin Fields in the left corner of the end zone. The score extended Chicago’s lead to 14-0 in the second quarter.

“It was a quick post-corner,” Pettis said. “The DB was lined up inside of me anyway, so I kind of knew that I had good leverage. I tried to take my time and make sure I wasn’t too quick. I turned around and saw the ball in the air.”

Pettis has shown his versatility on offense in the passing game and special teams as a punt returner. Usually, final roster spots come down to special teams.

“The more you can do, coaches love that,” Pettis said, “so I’m just glad that I had an opportunity to play both offense and punt return today.”

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