Coach Kyle Shanahan suggested health concerns contributed to the lack of playing time for Pettis in Sunday's 31-17 win over Tampa Bay, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports. "[Pettis] just got cleared to come back on Monday, so he was a little behind the 8-ball on that," Shanahan said. "Hopefully he'll work off that and continue to earn some more time out there."
Pettis caught his lone target for a seven-yard gain on two snaps, and he didn't even get any playing time on special teams. It sounds like his preseason groin injury was a factor, though he was a full practice participant Thursday and Friday before the game. Shanahan was critical of Pettis throughout August, hinting at a lack of consistency in route running and intensity. On the other hand, Shanahan also stated his belief that Pettis "can be our best player". In the season opener, Deebo Samuel led 49ers wide receivers with 60 snaps, followed by Marquise Goodwin (50), Richie James (26), Kendrick Bourne (17) and Pettis (two). None of the bunch saw more than three targets, with tight end George Kittle accounting for 10 of the team's 27 pass attempts.