49ers shopping wide receiver Dante Pettis ahead of trade deadline
Dante Pettis’ time with the 49ers might be running out.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed as much Friday when he was asked about a Sports Illustrated report signaling San Francisco had been shopping Pettis ahead of the Nov. 3 trade deadline.
Shanahan said general manager John Lynch has both made and received calls about the 2018 second-round draft pick.
“It’s stuff that we do right now and we’ll see if it can help us and if it does, we won’t hesitate to do it, but nothing’s imminent,” Shanahan said Friday, which happened to be Pettis’ 25th birthday. “Dante is a part of our team and there’s a good chance that he could still stay a part of our team. If he does, when his number’s needed and he gets his opportunity, I plan on him being ready.”
Pettis hasn’t made a catch this season and hasn’t been targeted by a 49ers quarterback since the season opening loss to the Arizona Cardinals. He was inactive in the last two games against the Dolphins and Rams. His most action has come on special teams. He’s returned two punts for a total of 14 yards.
While the 49ers have added a slew of receivers in recent seasons, including early in the last two drafts with Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk, Pettis has been a disappointment. His last reception came in the Halloween victory in Arizona in 2019 and he’s struggled to stay in the rotation despite having ample opportunity.
Pettis started Week 1 because Samuel and Aiyuk were out with injuries but remained unproductive while the team was hoping he would improve following the offseason departure of Emmanuel Sanders.
San Francisco moved up 15 spots in the draft, sending a third-round pick to Washington, to take Pettis hoping he would develop into a reliable starter. He showed flashes as a rookie, including a three-game stretch late in the season when he recorded 12 catches for 255 yards and four touchdowns.
The best thing for Pettis could be a change of scenery, while the 49ers could shed his salary and get a late-round draft pick in return.
This story was originally published October 23, 2020 at 3:26 PM.
