San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Dante Pettis has struggled to establish his role on offense thus far through training camp and the preseason. Unfortunately, it appears he is now dealing with another setback.
Pettis understands there is a sense of urgency for him to step his game up after being called out by head coach Kyle Shanahan. According to Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group, he is battling a minor groin injury:
49ers Dante Pettis says he’s dealing with minor groin issue.
He’s also not surprised at coach’s criticism, that they’re on same page, that he needs to play with more urgency and “run routes deliberately with more purpose”
The timing of the injury is hardly ideal. Pettis has struggled to make much of an impact this preseason. As a result, he found himself playing into the fourth quarter in their penultimate exhibition game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Shanahan's decision to have Pettis play so late into the game is certainly an interesting one. He showed plenty of promise as a rookie after finishing the 2018 campaign with 27 receptions for 467 yards and five touchdowns. Many had pegged him to take on a bonafide starting role coming into the 2019 NFL season.
Despite his struggles, it is clear that Shanahan is providing Pettis with every opportunity he can to establish a role for himself. Having to deal with a groin issue so close to the start of the regular season certainly does not help his chances. Regardless, he will need to find a way to earn the trust of his coaching staff if he hopes to avoid the dreaded sophomore slump.
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