The addition of wide receiver Dante Pettis to the San Francisco 49ers practice squad, announced on Tuesday, was overshadowed by one name who didn’t make the cut. The move came after a 9-man workout in Santa Clara where the 49ers front office and head coach Kyle Shanahan notably passed on Brenden Rice. Brenden is the son of the greatest wideout to grace the league and former 49ers legend Jerry Rice.
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This need for an urgent fill-in at the WR position is due to a severe injury crisis currently plaguing San Francisco’s wideout room entering Week 4 of the 2026 NFL season. Ricky Pearsall remains out for the season following knee surgery, while rookie De’Zhaun Stribling faces about 10 weeks on the sideline with an ankle injury. And with Mike Evans also nursing a rib issue, Kyle Shanahan needs additional depth in the pass-catching department.
“Dante Pettis is the one the 49ers are signing to the practice squad, a source confirms,” NBC Sports Bay Area insider Matt Maiocco confirmed the official move on Tuesday on X. “He posted a photo of himself in a 49ers uniform on social media.”
Maiocco originally reported on X that the San Francisco 49ers auditioned 9 free agents at their facility. The workout featured 5 receivers, including Malik Turner, Brady Boyd, and Quentin Skinner. DBs Corey Ballentine, Cobee Bryant, and Sam Webb joined QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson, giving coaches a wide look at available free agents.
Naturally, Brenden Rice drew the most attention. The son of Jerry Rice was selected in the 7th round of the 2024 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Chargers after his time at USC. A potential signing brought undeniable excitement in the Bay Area, as it would’ve been somewhat of a family reunion.
Flash 80 was selected as a first-team All-Pro 10 times during his NFL career. The All-Time NFL leading WR in terms of targets, receptions, and receiving yards, receiving TDs, and receiving 1st downs, won 3 Super Bowls during his 16-year career in the Bay Area.
However, Flash 80’s son, Brenden Rice, didn’t get the call to get on the 49ers practice squad, and perhaps the roster spot decision came down to the fact that Dante Pettis has previously played on the 49ers roster. Still, seeing a former 2018 2nd-round draft pick who was cut in 2020 by San Francisco getting picked over Jerry Rice’s son sure would be surprising for the 49ers fanbase.
The Niners are currently 3-0 and contending for the top seed in the NFC while being part of one of the toughest conferences in football. In a Super Bowl championship window, an emergency regular-season signing cannot afford a multi-week onboarding curve. This is perhaps where Dante Pettis edges out Brenden, as Pettis was active on the New Orleans squad last season.