Tag: Dante Pettis

PFF’s highest-graded New Orleans Saints free agent may surprise you

PFF’s highest-graded New Orleans Saints free agent may surprise you. Who expected wide receiver Dante Pettis to get top marks?

The New Orleans Saints have a handful of contributors from last year’s squad heading into free agency, but the one that got the highest Pro Football Focus grade is not someone anyone would expect.

PFF’s Bradley Locker recently went through each NFL team’s impending free agents to find the players that received the best marks last season. For the Saints, it was wide receiver Dante Pettis at 70.2. That isn’t a great grade, but that does say a lot about how New Orleans performed last season.

This is what Locker had to say about the season:

As the Saints dealt with a slew of wide receiver injuries, Pettis received a makeshift opportunity and made the most of it. His 69.3 PFF receiving grade was his highest since 2018, and he also had zero drops on 24 targets. However, Pettis’ other advanced numbers, such as yards per route run (1.21) and yards after catch per reception (2.9), were lackluster.

Pettis had just 12 catches for 120 yards and a touchdown in 2024. It wasn’t much, but it was his first recorded stats since 2022 and actually the third-best campaign of his career.

With Shaheed hurt, the veteran also stepped in to a bit of a return specialist role at times as well. He had 90 total punt return yards and 96 from kickoffs. He also had a huge return for a touchdown called back after it was ruled he went out of bounds. It wasn’t much, but he did have a couple of big plays.

The 29-year-old receiver will likely be off to another new team next year, perhaps he did enough late to earn a chance at a real role. He does have a big fan in interim head coach Darren Rizzi, who values Pettis on special teams. If Rizzi is named the full-time head coach he could choose to keep Pettis around.

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Spencer Rattler on pace for his best game of rookie year vs. Bucs

Spencer Rattler and the Saints offense put on their best first half since the bye week. Can they finally put together a complete game?

The New Orleans Saints scored 17 points in the first half over the last four weeks. Against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, they scored 16 points.

Spencer Rattler and the Saints offense in total put on their best first half performance since Derek Carr exited the lineup. Rattler was making pinpoint passes between Buccaneers defenders. Juwan Johnson had a pair of nice catch-and-runs.

Most importantly, the Saints scored on every possession, including a Dante Pettis touchdown catch. It’s just three more points than last week’s first half, but there’s a level of consistency that resembles the second half versus Washington Commanders.

The key here, however, is continuing the progress in the second half. The Saints haven’t put together a complete game of offensive performance since defeating the Cleveland Browns. Rattler has spoken repeatedly about the need to show consistency in his game and follow up a strong first half with a solid second half.

New Orleans has failed to score double-digit points in both halves since their bye week. They’ve even been shut out in at least one half in each of the last three weeks.

If Rattler can sustain this performance, it’ll be the best game of his career and possibly his first victory.

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WATCH: Saints tie the game on huge two-point conversion catch by Dante Pettis

WATCH: Saints wideout Dante Pettis makes a spectacular grab to tie the game with a two-point conversion against the Rams

The New Orleans Saints were able to tie their matchup with the Los Angeles Rams in the fourth quarter on the back of a Marquez Valdes-Scantling touchdown, and then a Dante Pettis two-point conversion catch. The play by Dante Pettis was pretty spectacular, as Derek Carr had to throw off his back foot which caused the pass to be underthrown, and Pettis was able to come back to the ball and snag it over the top of Darious Williams. This tied the game at 14 points a piece, and brought the Saints back into contention as they were previously down 14 to 6.

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Saints sign a wide receiver back to their practice squad during bye week

The New Orleans Saints re-signed rookie wide receiver Jermaine Jackson back to their practice squad during the bye week:

That didn’t take long. The New Orleans Saints re-signed rookie wide receiver Jermaine Jackson back to their practice squad not long after waiving him last week, with another rookie going on injured reserve as a corresponding move — defensive end Trajan Jeffcoat, who suffered an elbow injury early in training camp and only recently returned to the team.

Jackson had been supplanted as the Saints’ returns specialist by another practice squad wideout, Dante Pettis, but they clearly want to keep him in the fold. Attrition with season-threatening injuries to players like Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, and Bub Means almost demands they keep that depth intact. But we’ll have to wait and see whether Jackson returns to the field this season.

As for Pettis? He came up a toe’s width shy of a punt returned for a touchdown against the Cleveland Browns last week, but still gained 53 yards on the play. Like Jackson he was an accomplished returns ace in college and interim head coach Darren Rizzi (who of course has a background as a special teams coordinator) wants him to get more opportunities to impact the game.

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Veteran wide receiver signs with the Saints practice squad

Veteran wide receiver Dante Pettis signed with the New Orleans Saints practice squad. Injuries are piling up and he has some key connections to their coaching staff:

The New Orleans Saints didn’t trade for Davante Adams, but another veteran wide receiver was spotted in the No. 17 jersey at their Tuesday practice session. Former San Francisco 49ers second-round draft pick Dante Pettis signed with the practice squad and cornerback Shemar Jean-Charles was let go in a corresponding roster move.

Pettis, 28, played college football at Washington before entering the 2018 NFL draft. He played a bit part in San Francisco, catching 71 passes in 50 games for 984 yards and 12 touchdowns, before later spending time with the New York Giants and Chicago Bears. His time in Chicago overlapped with Saints quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko and another practice squad wideout in Equanimeous St. Brown.

Injuries are stacking up at the position for New Orleans. Chris Olave is in the league concussion protocol and Rashid Shaheed may miss time with a knee issue; backups Cedrick Wilson Jr. and Bub Means were also listed on this week’s injury report. Don’t expect Pettis to play against the Denver Broncos on Thursday night, but the Saints will need his help filling out reps at practice right away.

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Bears 2024 minicamp Day 3: Braxton Jones, Nate Davis among those not practicing

The Bears wrapped up their mandatory minicamp on Thursday with a handful of players not participating in team activities.

Mandatory minicamp is officially over for the Chicago Bears as they completed their third and final practice of the week. The Bears had a shorter and lighter practice on Thursday before the veterans break before the summer. A handful of players did not take part in team activities on the field, however.

Offensive tackles Braxton Jones and Kiran Amegadjie and wide receivers Tyler Scott and Dante Pettis missed practice for a second day in a row. Guard Nate Davis was also not participating for the second time this week. Others who were out include cornerback Kyler Gordon, defensive end Austin Booker, and wide receiver Collin Johnson. Bear Report’s Zack Pearson indicates Jones and Gordon were not present at all, while the others were not participating.

Though there were quite a few players not available, head coach Matt Eberflus continued to say it was just precautionary. The Bears veterans won’t be back on the field until sometime in mid-July, while the rookies will take part in one more organized team activity (OTA) next week.

Bears sign WR Dante Pettis

The Bears welcomed back a familiar face in WR Dante Pettis, who signed a one-year deal.

The Chicago Bears welcomed back a familiar face in wide receiver Dante Pettis, who signed a one-year deal with the team on Friday.

Pettis, 28, played with the Bears during the 2022 season, where he totaled 19 catches for 245 yards and three touchdowns along with two rushes for 37 yards in 17 games (seven starts).

Pettis also played a key role on special teams as a return specialist, averaging 9.1 yards on 18 punt returns. With Trent Taylor exiting in free agency, Chicago had a hole at punt returner, and Pettis figures to resume that role.

This is the second move at wide receiver for general manager Ryan Poles this offseason. The Bears traded for Pro Bowl wideout Keenan Allen late Thursday night, shoring up the receiving corp behind DJ Moore. While Chicago has their top two guys set, depth remains a concern. Pettis will provide that, along with special teams contributions.

Before joining the Bears, Pettis spent time with the San Francisco 49ers (2018-20) and New York Giants, where he totaled 52 receptions for 739 yards and nine touchdowns in 33 games (12 starts).

Bears release Dante Pettis, Isaiah Ford with injury settlements

Dante Pettis and Isaiah Ford were placed on season-ending injured reserve in late August.

The Chicago Bears have released wide receivers Dante Pettis and Isaiah Ford with injury settlements, according to NFL reporter Aaron Wilson.

Pettis and Ford were placed on season-ending injured reserve in late August with undisclosed injuries.

Pettis signed with the Bears last season, where he appeared in all 17 games, including seven starts. Pettis had 19 receptions for 245 yards and three touchdowns. He also served as a punt returner, averaging 9.1 yards on 18 returns.

Pettis started training camp on the non-football injury (NFI) list, where he missed the first couple of weeks of camp. While he returned, he suffered another injury that landed him on IR.

Ford, a former seventh-round pick by the Miami Dolphins in 2017, was signed to Chicago’s roster earlier this summer. He last saw regular-season action in 2021, where he logged 12 receptions for 161 yards and two touchdowns with the Dolphins.

Bears sign former Bengals PR Trent Taylor

The Chicago Bears have a new punt returner.

The Chicago Bears have a new punt returner. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Bears are signing former Cincinnati Bengals return specialist and wide receiver Trent Taylor to their active roster. The Bengals released Taylor on Tuesday after he spent the 2022 season as their primary punt returner.

Taylor was drafted in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers and was their primary punt returner his rookie year. He also contributed at wide receiver, catching 43 passes for 430 yards and two touchdowns.

As his career went on, Taylor became more of a dedicated specialist, primarily contributing on punt returns. He joined the Bengals in 2021 and, in 2022, was their primary punt returner. Taylor averaged 10.3 yards per return, the sixth-most in the NFL last year.

Now, Taylor comes to the Bears to give them a boost in that department. Chicago lost veteran Dante Pettis to injured reserve last week and didn’t have a stable punt returner. Now they do with Taylor, who will likely take the spot of someone like Velus Jones Jr. or Equanimeous St. Brown on the roster.

Bears place WR Dante Pettis on IR, waive injured WR Joe Reed

The Bears announced a couple of roster moves ahead of Saturday’s preseason finale, including placing WR Dante Pettis on IR.

The Chicago Bears announced a couple of roster moves ahead of Saturday’s preseason finale against the Buffalo Bills.

The Bears have placed wide receiver Dante Pettis on injured reserve and waived injured wide receiver Joe Reed.

Pettis signed with the Bears last season, where he appeared in all 17 games, including seven starts. Pettis had 19 receptions for 245 yards and three touchdowns. He also served as a punt returner, averaging 9.1 yards on 18 returns.

Pettis started training camp on the non-football injury (NFI) list, where he missed the first couple of weeks of camp. While he returned, he suffered another injury that’s since kept him sidelined.

With Pettis on IR, the Bears have a glaring hole at punt returner. Velus Jones Jr. is certainly a candidate to fill the role, but he’s had struggles fielding punts dating back to his rookie season. Still, at this point, it feels like Jones is a roster lock at wide receiver.

Reed, a former fifth-round pick by the Chargers in 2020, signed a reserve/future contract with the Bears in January. He served as a kick returner with Los Angeles, averaging 20.7 yards on 21 kickoff returns in 11 games as a rookie. Reed hasn’t played in a regular season game since his rookie season.

Following these and other roster moves this week, the Bears have 86 players currently on the roster, which means they’ll only need to waive 33 players by Tuesday’s cut deadline at 3 p.m. CT.

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