Chicago Bears: Dante Pettis Hoping to Resurrect Career

New Chicago Bears wide receiver Dante Pettis hopes to revive his career after lackluster performances in San Francisco and New York.

It is no secret that the Chicago Bears desperately need wide receiver help. The unit last season underperformed. Whoever was in quarterback dropped back and constantly saw his receivers blanketed.

This offseason, new general manager Ryan Poles inherited a bare receiving corps. The only receivers under contract were Darnell Mooney, their top receiver in 2021, and Dazz Newsome, who starts his second season.

Poles signed some receivers in free agency. He signed Equanimeous St. Brown and Byron Pringle. St. Brown came from the Green Bay Packers. Pringle, meanwhile, came over from the Kansas City Chiefs. Additionally, Poles signed Tajae Sharp, David Moore, Chris Finke, and Dante Pettis. He brought back Isaiah Coulter and Nsimba Webster.

In this year’s draft, Poles selected Velus Jones.

Pettis is an interesting case. All of the receivers signed weren’t expected to do much in their careers. They were late-round draft picks or went undrafted. Pettis, on the other hand, was a second-round pick. There were high hopes for him when the San Francisco 49ers drafted him 44th overall in 2018.

Pettis fails to live up to expectations

Pettis had a hopeful rookie campaign. In 12 games, he had 27 catches for 467 yards and 5 touchdowns. The speedy receiver averaged over 17 yards per catch.

After his rookie season, however, things fell apart. He somehow got into head coach Kyle Shanahan‘s doghouse and found himself buried in the depth chart. In 2019, he played in 11 games but only had 109 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns. In 2020, he played in five games before San Francisco finally gave up on him.

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The New York Giants picked Pettis up after the Niners dropped him. Things didn’t change for him, though. In a year and a half in New York, he only played in five games, recording just 163 yards on 14 catches and 2 touchdowns.

Chicago gives Pettis another opportunity

Now Pettis has another shot at resurrecting his career. Poles hopes that Pettis understands that this might be his final chance at proving that he is a receiver who can really contribute to an offense’s success.

Pettis has the tools to be a great target for quarterback Justin Fields. He has blistering speed. He recorded a 4.32-40 at the NFL Combine. With speedsters Mooney and Jones also on the field, that gives the Bears some serious speed mismatches against opposing defenses.

Additionally, Pettis runs good routes. He is crisp and has the footwork to create separation. His skills help put defenses on their toes. Defensive backs have to protect from his deep speed, but he could go out fast, then cut and leave the defense in his dust. He averages 14.2 yards per reception so he can make some big plays. That helps a great deal in Fields’ development.

Pettis also has the size you want in a receiver. He is 6-foot-1 and weighs 195 pounds. His size/speed combination is very attractive. He fits the mold that Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus look for in their players — he has size, speed, athleticism, and, now that his back is against the wall, the motivation to do whatever it takes to stay in the league.

With all of the additions Poles made this offseason, signing Pettis might be the best one. Hopefully, Pettis ends up being good for Fields and the Chicago Bears.