Getty Multiple teams tried to claim Dante Pettis after his release by the 49ers.
The San Francisco 49ers have been open about their desire to trade wide receiver Dante Pettis by the deadline. Despite Deebo Samuel once again being sidelined, the Niners have not softened their stance of moving Pettis if the right opportunity comes their way. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan does not believe a trade is likely, but the recent injuries will not impact whether the team will deal Pettis.
“I don’t think it was real likely before,” Shanahan noted after the 49ers win over the Patriots, per Yahoo Sports. “I don’t think anything changes. That’s stuff everyone talks about, especially with the deadline coming up. I’m not sure — I think it’s one week or 10 days or something. That’s always a big time around now. I know Dante got mentioned a few days ago. We’ll see if anything comes up that can help our team, but if it doesn’t, I know Dante can help our team being on it too. So, we’ll look into those injuries tomorrow and keep laying out all trade possibilities until the deadline’s over.”
The 49ers Have Been Open About Pettis Being on the Trade Block
Pettis was a highly-touted prospect coming out of Washington and the Niners selected the receiver in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He has failed to find success in San Francisco, and Shanahan confirmed the team is listening to offers on Pettis prior to the 49ers-Patriots matchup.
“It’s two weeks before the trade deadline,” Shanahan explained, via 49ersWebZone.com. “I know (general manager) John (Lynch) has taken a number of calls on it. I know he’s made some. That’s stuff that we do right now. We’ll see if it can help us, and if it does, we won’t hesitate to do it. …But nothing is imminent. Dante’s a part of our team, and there’s a good chance 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.”
San Francisco Could Be in the Market for Acquiring a Wide Receiver
Shanahan is saying all the right things, but the team has clearly lost confidence in Pettis as evidenced by publicly putting the receiver on the trade block. The 49ers could also be in the market to trade for a wide receiver. NBC Sports Bay Area’s Josh Schrock mentions Bengals John Ross and Texans Will Fuller as two players that make a lot of sense for the Niners to pursue.
Ross is similar to Pettis as a former high draft pick who has underperformed since arriving in the NFL. Given the number of injuries on the 49ers roster, the team has needs on both sides of the ball including at running back and defensive line. The 49ers have until the NFL trade deadline on November 3rd to make a deal. Look for the 49ers to trade Pettis if they can find a team willing to send a future draft pick in return for the wide receiver.
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