Ex-Giants WR Signs in NFC, Will Play New York in 2022

Getty Ex-Giants wide receiver Dante Pettis signs with the Chicago Bears.

The New York Giants will not bring back wide receiver/return specialist Dante Pettis for a third straight season.

Pettis signed a one-year deal with the Chicago Bears on May 11, thus closing the book on a two-year stint with the Giants from 2020 to 2021.

The 26-year-old speedster was a valuable depth piece, albeit in limited action, as a wide receiver and return specialist for the Giants. In five total games, Pettis recorded 14 receptions for 163 yards and two touchdowns across two seasons.

Pettis played a key role in the Giants’ Week 7 victory over the Carolina Panthers last season, catching five passes for 39 yards and a touchdown. The versatile receiver also completed a 16-yard pass to quarterback Daniel Jones on a trick play. This famous reception saw Jones make a difficult one-handed grab.

Pettis was placed on injured reserve on November 5 as a result of a shoulder injury, which ended his season and tenure as a Giant.

Now, he could see increased playing time with the Bears, who are thin at the wide receiver position.

The Giants will see Pettis and the Bears at MetLife Stadium on October 2 during the 2022 season.

Disappointing Career

While It’s evident that Pettis has talent, his career hasn’t gone as planned since entering the league in 2018.

Pettis was a second-round draft pick of the San Francisco 49ers in the 2018 NFL draft. The University of Washington product set an NCAA record with nine career punt return touchdowns, while capturing several accolades in his final collegiate season, including first-team All-PAC-12, consensus All-American, and the Jet Award for the best return specialist in college football in 2017.

However, the wideout was never able to build off a promising rookie year with the 49ers, in which he caught five touchdowns on 27 receptions for 467 yards in ’18. Since his first year in the NFL, Pettis has played in just 21 games, hauling in 25 passes for 272 yards and four touchdowns.

The hope is that Pettis will be able to revive his career in Chicago, who has a much-less crowded receiver room than the Giants.

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Thanksgiving Day Rivalry

The NFL decided to schedule an NFC East rivalry matchup on Thanksgiving Day this year.

The Giants and Dallas Cowboys will face off in the 4:25 p.m. slot on Thanksgiving in the 2022 regular season. This will be the second time these two teams have played each other on Turkey Day, with the previous contest coming on November 26, 1992. The Cowboys thumped the Giants by a score of 30-3 in this game.

This will be the 16th time in team history, in which the Giants will play on Thanksgiving. Since their first ever game on Turkey Day in 1926, they’ve accumulated a record of 7-5-3 on the holiday.

The Giants last played on Thanksgiving back in 2017, where they fell to the Washington Commanders by a score of 20-10.

The Giants will have their first meeting with the Cowboys on September 26, which will occur in Week 3 of the 2022 NFL season, on ESPN’s Monday Night Football. Longtime FOX Sports broadcasters Joe Buck and NFL Hall of Fame quarterback and former Cowboy Troy Aikman, will call this game after making the switch to ESPN during the offseason.