Receiver Dante Pettis’ season is over.
The Bears put Pettis on injured reserve Friday, making him ineligible to play for the rest of the season. They could have kept Pettis only by putting him on their 53-man roster during final cuts Tuesday and then putting him on IR, in which case he would have been eligible to return.
Pettis started the season on the non-football injury list but was activated Aug. 9. He caught two passes for 13 yards last Saturday against the Colts but was hurt during the game and was held out of practices this week with an undisclosed injury.
Pettis was the Bears’ primary punt returner last season. Velus Jones, who was the Bears’ kick returner last season, has struggled to catch punts since coming into the league last year.
The Bears re-signed Pettis during the offseason after he posted 19 catches for 245 yards and three touchdowns last season. It was his best season since his rookie year with the 49ers in 2018.
The move brings into clearer focus the Bears’ receiver room, which figures to feature six players on the 53-man roster: DJ Moore, Darnell Mooney, Chase Claypool, Tyler Scott, Equanimeous St. Brown and Jones.
Scott and Jones can return punts. Moore, the Bears’ top receiver, has been fielding them during practice, but special-teams coordinator Richard Hightower made it clear he was just an emergency option.
The Bears, who host the Bills in their preseason finale Saturday, also waived receiver Joe Reed, who is injured.
