Dante Pettis was supposed to be a major player in the 49ers’ passing attack in 2019. Instead he found himself relegated to the bench for much of the year, and a healthy scratch in the Super Bowl.
Now he heads into a crucial, career-altering offseason with another chance to carve out a role in a fluid 49ers’ receiver room.
Despite the fact Pettis played only 9 snaps after Week 10, and none from Week 12 through the postseason, head coach Kyle Shanahan is leaving the door open for a turnaround from the third-year receiver in 2020.
“I think he took a documented step back in his second year (and) I’ve been around a lot of players who have done that,” Shanahan said according to Matt Barrows of the Athletic. “The players I’ve been around — which is a ton — they go one way or the other. They keep being like that, then they usually filter out. Or it’s a wake-up call for them and they come back and you kind of see it in April. It’s like, ‘OK, this guy treated January to April so much different than before.’ Then it usually changes their career.”
Pettis may have fallen victim last offseason to some complacency after a strong rookie campaign where he caught 27 balls for 467 yards and five touchdowns. He was supposed to step in and be a No. 1-type of target for Jimmy Garoppolo. Instead he saw his snaps and numbers dwindle, following his rookie year with an 11-catch, 109-yard, two-touchdown campaign.
He’s hardly the first 49er in recent years to back up a good rookie season with a poor sophomore effort. Safety Adrian Colbert, a seventh-round pick in 2017, finished his rookie season well and looked to be the starting free safety going into 2018. He struggled through most of his second season before an injury landed him on Injured Reserve, and he was cut before the 2019 season.
Cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon had a similar path, but went the opposite direction. While he struggled down the stretch and was benched in the playoffs, Witherspoon played well for most of the year. Shanahan is hoping for a Witherspoon-style bounce back from Pettis this year.
“Ahkello, with the way he came back last year (in) the offseason, I mean, he looked different,” Shanahan said per Barrows. “And you can tell he was on a mission. And that’s why the first few games of the year before he got hurt, he was playing on an extremely high level. And that’s what I expect to happen with Dante.”
Getting a big third year from Pettis, a former second-round pick, would do wonders for a 49ers receiving corps that’s gotten some significant investments over the last two years. Pettis was a second-round selection in 2018. Deebo Samuel also went in the second round in last year’s draft, and Jalen Hurd was taken one round later. There’s a chance they wind up drafting another receiver this year in a deep class that some analysts are calling the best draft ever for that position.
Pettis playing well, combined with Samuel, a healthy Hurd, Kendrick Bourne (who’s a restricted free agent) and a couple other players could help the 49ers roll out a dynamic receiving corps that elevates the offense to a new level in 2020.
If he can’t bounce back in Year 3, he’ll find himself taking the same route Colbert took.
The good news for Pettis is the door is open for his return to prominence in the 49ers’ passing game. Shanahan is just waiting for him to walk through it.
