Tag: Dante Pettis

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.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=103]

Bears remove WR Dante Pettis from NFI list

The Bears are getting Dante Pettis at the perfect time.

The Chicago Bears have removed wide receiver Dante Pettis from the Non-Football Injury (NFI) list, the team announced Wednesday.

Pettis missed the first 12 practices of training camp with an undisclosed injury unrelated to football activities, per the NFI description.

Pettis joined the Bears last offseason, where injuries thrust him into a bigger role than many envisioned. He had 19 catches for 245 yards and three touchdowns in 17 games. Pettis was also the team’s primary punt returner, averaging 9.1 yards per return.

Now, Pettis faces an uphill battle to earn a spot on the 53-man roster spot after missing two weeks of training camp and in a loaded receivers room, where he’ll likely be battling Velus Jones Jr. for one of those final spots.

Pettis’ return couldn’t come at a better time after apparent injuries to two of the team’s top four wideouts in Chase Claypool (hamstring) and Equanimeous St. Brown (lower leg) during Wednesday’s practice. The severity of those are unknown.

Pettis will likely ramp up during Thursday’s practice, and it’ll be interesting to see if he suits up for Saturday’s preseason opener against the Tennessee Titans.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=103]

Bears place WR Dante Pettis on Non-Football Injury list

The veteran receiver will not be practicing when the Bears take the field on Wednesday.

The Chicago Bears begin training camp practice on Wednesday but will be without one of their receivers and special teams contributors when they do. On Tuesday afternoon, the team announced they placed Dante Pettis on the Active/Non-Football injury (NFI) list.

The NFI list is for players who have ailments that are unrelated to football activities, or injuries that occur outside of NFL practices and games. Pettis can come off the list at any point and he counts toward the team’s 90-man roster during camp.

Pettis joined the Bears in 2022 and had a modest year on both offense and special teams. He caught 19 passes for 245 yards and three touchdowns in 17 games. He also became the team’s primary punt returner, averaging 9.1 yards per return.

The former 2018 second-round draft pick re-signed with the Bears earlier this offseason and will compete for a reserve receiver spot with players such as Velus Jones Jr., Daurice Fountain, and newcomer Isaiah Ford, who was signed earlier in the day, when he’s activated off the list. Pettis will also look to retain his hold on punt return duties.

7 Bears veterans in need of a strong training camp

These Bears players may not necessarily be on the bubble heading into camp, but they need a good showing when practices begin.

We’re inching closer and closer to the start of training camp for the Chicago Bears and many storylines will begin to unfold, from the ascent of the rookies to how new veterans will gel with the team. No matter what direction you look in, there’s going to be something of note to watch when camp begins.

One of those storylines will involve veterans who may not necessarily be on the roster bubble but will need strong camp performances to solidify their position. Whether that’s as a starter or a backup. Here are seven of those players who will benefit greatly from a strong camp showing.

8 Bears players on the roster bubble heading into training camp

These Bears players will need a strong camp to secure a spot on the initial 53-man roster.

Chicago Bears training camp is drawing closer each day and it’s only a matter of time before players report to Halas Hall and begin practicing. While fans are eager to see players such as Justin Fields, D.J. Moore, Tremaine Edmunds, and Jaquan Brisker, training camp will be vital for those near the bottom of the depth chart looking to make the initial 53-man roster.

From former first-round picks to undrafted free agents, everyone will need to do their part to earn a roster spot when practices get underway. Here are eight players on the roster bubble heading into camp that will be worth watching.

Bears re-sign WR Dante Pettis to 1-year deal

The Bears are bringing back a familiar face in WR Dante Pettis, who’s signing a one-year deal with Chicago.

The Chicago Bears are bringing back a familiar face in wide receiver Dante Pettis, who’s signing a one-year deal with the team as the offseason program gets underway.

The Bears signed Pettis to a one-year deal last offseason where the expectation was he’d serve as WR6 and contribute on special teams. Instead, Pettis wound up more involved on offense than many expected during the 2022 season.

Pettis, who played in 17 games, was the team’s fifth-leading receiver with 245 yards on 19 catches and led all Bears receivers in touchdowns (3) in 2022. While Pettis had his struggles with drops, he did have his moments in the passing game, highlighted by some deep receptions.

Pettis was also the team’s primary punt returner — after Velus Jones Jr. struggled with muffed punts early in the season — serving a dual role for Chicago.

Now, Pettis returns to an improved receiving corp that acquired DJ Moore in a trade. Pettis projects as WR6 on this team behind Moore, Chase Claypool, Darnell Mooney, Velus Jones and Equanimeous St. Brown, who also signed a one-year extension before the end of the 2022 season.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=103]

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbve7kb6he6scwe player_id=01eqbvhghtkmz2182d image=]

1 pending free agent Chargers could target from each NFL team

Here’s a look at one pending free agent from each NFL team that could interest the Chargers.

The Chargers won’t be as aggressive as they have been in recent years regarding signing free agents.

Even after making moves to get cap compliant before the new league year begins on Wednesday, Los Angeles’ priorities will be to re-sign some of their players and extend Justin Herbert.

After that, they should have some spendings available to sign some low-cost players.

That said, here is one pending free agent from each team in the NFL that could be a realistic target for L.A.