The Chicago Bears have removed wide receiver Dante Pettis from the Non-Football Injury (NFI) list, the team announced Wednesday.
Pettis missed the first 12 practices of training camp with an undisclosed injury unrelated to football activities, per the NFI description.
Pettis joined the Bears last offseason, where injuries thrust him into a bigger role than many envisioned. He had 19 catches for 245 yards and three touchdowns in 17 games. Pettis was also the team’s primary punt returner, averaging 9.1 yards per return.
Now, Pettis faces an uphill battle to earn a spot on the 53-man roster spot after missing two weeks of training camp and in a loaded receivers room, where he’ll likely be battling Velus Jones Jr. for one of those final spots.
#Bears roster move:
We have removed WR Dante Pettis from the Non-Football Injury (NFI) list.— Bears Communications (@BearsPR) August 9, 2023
Pettis’ return couldn’t come at a better time after apparent injuries to two of the team’s top four wideouts in Chase Claypool (hamstring) and Equanimeous St. Brown (lower leg) during Wednesday’s practice. The severity of those are unknown.
Pettis will likely ramp up during Thursday’s practice, and it’ll be interesting to see if he suits up for Saturday’s preseason opener against the Tennessee Titans.
