The Buffalo Bills wasted no time in trying to fill the roster spot vacated by veteran wide receiver Jalen Virgil. With the team already losing wide receiver Tyrell Shavers to the Active/PUP list, waiving Virgil with a non-football injury (NFI) designation paved the way for the team to host several receiver prospects on Thursday, July 30.
Among those tryouts was wide receiver Dante Pettis, who ultimately signed a deal with Buffalo after Thursday’s session at St. John Fisher University. Pettis, who turns 31 at the end of October, is a seven-year NFL veteran who until now spent his time exclusively in NFC.
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The 6′ 1″, 200-pound Pettis originally entered the NFL as a second-round (44th overall) pick of the San Francisco 49ers during the 2018 NFL Draft. He made a meaningful impact as a rookie, catching 27 passes (45 attempts) for 467 yards and five touchdowns (per Pro Football Reference). Pettis was waived during his third season with the Niners, ultimately landing with the New York Giants, where he remained through the 2021 NFL season.
Pettis signed on with the Chicago Bears for the 2022 season, seeing his most significant involvement and production since that promising rookie campaign, catching 19 passes (41 targets) for 245 yards and three touchdowns; adding two rushers for 37 yards with the Bears.
Pettis also brings a bit to the table as a passer, having attempted and completed one pass for 16 yards each with the Niners (2019) and Giants (2021).
Pettis didn’t play during the 2023 NFL season, returning the following year and signing with the New Orleans Saints. In 16 total game appearances between the 2024 and 2025 NFL seasons, Pettis caught 21 passes (39 targets) for 247 yards and one touchdown with the Saints. In total, Pettis has played for four NFL teams, catching 92 passes (171 targets) for 1,231 yards and 13 touchdowns.
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