Coach Kyle Shanahan said Tuesday that he's been critical of Pettis (groin) because he believes the wide receiver is talented enough to become the best player on the 49ers, Eric Branch of The San Francisco Chronicle reports. "[Pettis] can be our best player on this team," Shanahan said. "He can be our No. 1 receiver, our No. 2 receiver, our slot receiver, or just a role receiver. And he's shown that he can do all of that, but he hasn't shown it consistently enough so that we know exactly where to put him."
Shanahan clarified that his uncertainty involves the exact nature of Pettis' role, not whether the 23-year-old will be an important part of the team. Pettis made the start and took regular snaps with the first-team offense in last week's preseason win over Kansas City, but he also stayed in the game until early in the fourth quarter, long after Jimmy Garoppolo, Marquise Goodwin, Tevin Coleman and Matt Breida had been removed. Now dealing with a minor groin injury, Pettis acknowledged Monday that the criticism from Shanahan is valid, with the receiver noting that he needs to improve his route running and sense of urgency. Health permitting, Pettis should be a big part of the game plan for Week 1 at Tampa Bay, though his role may suffer if he struggles early.