The Buffalo Bills on Saturday announced a handful of their final cuts as they trim their roster to 53 players. Among their initial cuts was former San Francisco 49ers second-round pick Dante Pettis.
Pettis was the 49ers' second-round pick in the 2018 draft. He put together a strong rookie campaign in San Francisco with 27 catches for 467 yards and five touchdowns despite suffering a knee injury in Week 4 and being limited to 12 games. His arrow was pointed up with the 49ers and it looked after Year 1 like he might be a foundational piece of their receiving corps.
Unfortunately for Pettis, the wheels came off in 2019 as the 49ers became a Super Bowl contender. He caught 11 ******* for 109 yards and two touchdowns in 11 games during his sophomore campaign. Pettis didn't make it through 2020 with the 49ers. He didn't record a catch in five games and was waived in November.
Since being waived he's been unable to catch on with a substantial role on any club. He played five games across one-plus seasons with the New York Giants. He had one year with the Chicago Bears in 2022, didn't sign with anyone in 2023, and then caught on with the New Orleans Saints for the 2024 and 2025 seasons. The Buffalo Bills signed him this offseason and he wasn't able to earn a place on the 53-man roster.
Pettis since his rookie season has 65 catches for 764 yards and eight touchdowns in 54 games with 12 starts.

#bills

The Bills announced their first wave of cuts on Saturday afternoon.
The list includes the previous reported release of wide receiver Mecole Hardman, but not the release of punter Mitch Wishnowsky. The Bills have reportedly decided to go with rookie Tommy Doman over Wishnowsky.
Buffalo is also parting ways with linebacker Cade Denhoff, cornerback Jordan Dunbar, guard Bruno Fina, linebacker Theron Gaines, center Sincere Haynesworth, defensive lineman Zion Logue, cornerback D.J. Miller, safety Wande Owens, wide receiver Dante Pettis, linebacker Otis Reese, wide receiver Quentin Skinner, and tight end Shane Zylstra.
If Wishnowsky's reported release is included, the Bills are left with 23 more moves to make to get to the 53-man limit on Sunday.

#receiver #linebacker #wishnowsky

Ahead of the Buffalo Bills' joint practice against the Cleveland Browns on August 20, injury reports and questionable statuses clouded the team's wide receiver situation. Sal Capaccio of WGR550 shared a list of "(w)ide receivers I either don't see at all or are here but NOT practicing: Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman, Skyler Bell, Dante Pettis" — a large chunk of the wide receivers room.
Brady has indicated a lack of long-term concern for Coleman's availability even though he's dealing with a sprained toe/foot, (per ESPN's Cameron Wolfe). We don't yet know what's bothering Shakir, and Bell was seen doing sideline work with a team trainer on Thursday in Cleveland.
But if you stop and do some math, the injured list renders roughly 30% of the Bills' 13-man receivers group unavailable for the joint session, and their status for Saturday's Week 2 preseason game against the Cleveland Browns in question. NFL teams don't have to disclose injuries at this stage of the proceedings, but during head coach Joe Brady's press conference Tuesday afternoon we learned that Shakir was injured ahead of the joint practice in Cleveland.
Capaccio then shared a look at wide receivers participating for Buffalo, which encouragingly included DJ Moore and a handful of other mostly expected depth options. Once the joint practice began, the bulk of news and video highlights shared were plays to the Bills' group of tight ends.
President of football operations/general manager Brandon Beane can't sit idle hoping the injury bug exits stage left soon. He made a concerted effort to bring Moore in via trade, which so far has the looks of a potentially great move. However, Moore's effectiveness will be limited if the surrounding starting cast around him is unavailable.

#bills #joint #receivers #don 't

PHOENIX — Diana Taurasi stepped foot on the basketball court at the Mortgage Matchup Center on Sunday, Aug. 16, like she's done so many times throughout her 20-year career in Phoenix.
But this time was different. The Phoenix Mercury's game against Portland Fire doubled as Taurasi's Ring of Honor induction, where her No. 3 jersey was officially retired and hung in the rafters alongside Cheryl Miller, Jennifer Gillom (22), Bridget Pettis (32), Penny Taylor (13) and Michele Timms (7).
"Driving to the game today, I didn't know whether I was going to suit up and play, if it was my funeral or a celebration," Taurasi joked during her induction speech. "It's all of those things and it's amazing. And I wouldn't have it any other way because that's how I live every single day of my life. With every single one of those emotions in this building."
Despite the Mercury's 88-85 loss to the Fire, there was a sense of celebration both before and after the game because of Taurasi, the greatest scorer in WNBA history.
What makes Diana Taurasi great? The stories behind the GOAT

#phoenix #diana #every

PHOENIX — Many fans across the globe know Diana Taurasi as the WNBA's all-time leading scorer, with 10,646 points across her 20-year career in Phoenix. Or as a six-time Olympic gold medalist, the most in basketball history.
But the teammates and coaches she shared the court with throughout her career know Taurasi as so much more. She's the ultimate competitor, an elite trash-talker and fearless leader who pushed you (and your ****** ons).
"It could either ****** you off or it could either elevate you," Hall of Famer Swin Cash told USA TODAY Sports.
"The thing that separates the WNBA players and the greats is, what was the impact you had with your teammates, with the organization, with the community? As (Taurasi's) jersey goes into the rafters, think about all she created off the court for those that have opportunities, whether it's in Phoenix or whether it's back in her hometown in California. ... I don't think she ever had a big megaphone around that, but she did a lot."
USA TODAY Sports talked with Taurasi's teammates and coaches from every level of her career ahead of her jersey retirement on Sunday, Aug. 16, with her No. 3 joining Cheryl Miller, Jennifer Gillom (22), Bridget Pettis (32), Penny Taylor (13) and Michele Timms (7) in the Mercury's Ring of Honor. Here's the stories that they shared:

#taurasi #sports #know

LAS VEGAS – Diego Ferreira doesn't see the end of the road, at least not yet.
The UFC lightweight veteran competes in his 27th professional fight this Saturday against Billy Quarantillo in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 284 (Paramount+), which takes place at the Meta APEX. Ferreira (20-7 MMA, 11-7 UFC) has been competing for 15 years, turned 41 earlier this year, and is on a two-fight losing streak, with his most recent bout being a TKO stoppage loss. Yet, despite having the signs many consider to signal the end of a fighting career, Ferreira's fighting spirit still remains strong.
"I want to enjoy it," Ferreira told MMA Junkie and other media at Wednesday's UFC Fight Night 284 media day. "I'm not looking to retire yet. A lot of people have been asking me that question, but right now I want to live the moment. I enjoy it here. I like to be a fighter. I like to be a professional fighter. It's something I took that far, and I never thought about having that kind of lifestyle. I want to enjoy it now, and I want to do things for me and have a purpose in my life. I want to do things for me, and I want to do this as long as I can."
Ferreira enters as a favorite against Quarantillo (20-8 MMA, 6-5 UFC), who's also on a two-fight losing streak. Although Ferreira is looking to use his experience in this bout, he's also not going to shy away from getting into a firefight – which has been part of his fighting identity in the UFC.
"It's be smarter, for sure I will, but you cannot change a warrior; you can't change a man who's been making his history like that long," Ferreira said. "I think the pressure is still going to be there. Going forward is the goal. Put the war like how I did with Anthony Pettis; it is the same goal. But yeah, be more seasoned, more patient, but I'm always looking for the finish. I'm always looking to bite my mouthpiece and move forward. I want to look for the finish in this one."

#going

Fresh off the news of the merger with Most Valuable Promotions, Professional Fighters League continued its "Summer Series" runof events with a surge of momentum.

Two of the company's top superstars made their return aslightweight champion UsmanNurmagomedov put his ***** le on the line against undefeatedchallenger ArchieColgan, and DakotaDitcheva denied DeniseKielholtz following a year on the shelf.
Following a brutal and decisive first-round finish over Colgan,there are immediate questions on the future of Nurmagomedov and hisplace in the company, as he just fought out the last fight of hiscontract. Nurmagomedov made it a point to see how the PFL/MVPmerger would lead to a contract offer in terms of pay, and if theykeep him, there's a clear top contender in Shabliy. DefeatingAlfieDavis by unanimous decision last month, Shabliy discussed hisdesire for a ***** le fight and he could get a chance at revenge froma 2024 loss to Nurmagomedov.
Taking on Kielholtz in her first action in over a year, Ditchevadid not have her most outstanding performance, and it was clear shewas shaking off some rust. Ditcheva would control the pace anddistance, grabbing momentum early and never letting it go. Aftergetting the rust off, it's time for the most anticipated women'smatchup in the PFL to take place against last year's tournamentchampion in Carmouche. Getting a recent win over VivianeAraujo, these two women are on a collision course and thereshould be no more time wasted.
Magomedov's performance proved there is another Russian star on thepromotion's roster. Part of the Nurmagomedov team, Magomedov waselectric in his manhandling of AngelAlvarez, chopping down his legs with brutal kicks andeventually getting the TKO finish in the second round. He shouldnow face off against the 2025 PFL Lightweight tournament champion.Davis just suffered a loss to Shabliy back in June, but could getright back into the top of the division if he can stop the momentumof Magomedov. Davis has said that he felt he fought his best in hisloss against Nurmagomedov, who knows Magomedov well, and he couldserve as a great test to see just how quickly he can get himselfback to ***** le contention.
Dayron arguably went through the toughest test of his career and itwas also his closest fight, as he pulled off a razor-thin decisionover RaufeonStots. His opponent was thoroughly shocked at the decision, butit saw Dayron keep his undefeated record intact. Even with the win,Dayron would benefit from another veteran test, and he'd get justthat in Pettis. Recently, Pettis was scheduled to square offagainst LewisMcGrillen-Evans but had to withdraw due to injury, if Pettiscan get healthy sooner than later, he would serve as another greattest for Dayron.

#nurmagomedov #pettis

Wide receiver Dante Pettis played his last snaps for the San Francisco 49ers in the 2020 season, but after spending the last few months on the market, he's found his new home.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Pettis is signing with the Buffalo Bills early in training camp.
San Francisco originally took Pettis in the second round (No. 44 overall) of the 2018 NFL draft, after he spent four years at Washington and earned both All-Pac-12 and All-American honors in his final season. He also set an NCAA record with nine punt-return touchdowns.
In 28 games with the 49ers, he caught 38 passes for 576 yards and seven touchdowns. Since then, he's had stints with the New York Giants, Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints.
Now, he'll have an opportunity to try to keep his career alive, earn a roster spot and catch passes from Josh Allen in 2026.

#pettis #adam

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.
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).

#buffalo #Giants

Wide receiver Chris Moore is back in Baltimore.
The NFL's daily transaction report shows that Moore worked out for the Ravens on Friday and multiple reports say that he is signing on for a second tour of duty with the team. Moore was a 2016 fourth-round pick and spent his first five seasons with the AFC North club.
Moore had 47 catches for 511 yards and four touchdowns during that stint. He spent time with the Texans, ***** ans and Cardinals before playing in 14 games for the Commanders last season. He had 11 catches for 207 yards and a touchdown.
The Ravens worked out wideouts Sterling Shepard, Dante Pettis, and Casey Washington along with Moore. Offensive tackles Hakeem Adenjii and Geron Christian also worked out while quarterback William Atkins handled the throwing during the tryout.

#worked #spent #baltimore #Friday

Murtazali Magomedov won’t forget his debut at UFC Vegas 119 after he locked up a rare Scottish twister to finish Melsik Baghdasaryan in the first round.
The end came after a few striking exchanges led to Magomedov securing a takedown and then eventually looking to take the back on his opponent. Magomedov eventually trying to grab a body triangle but instead he saw an opening to latch onto Baghdasaryan’s arm and head instead before he leaned back to really secure the submission.
A split second later, Baghdasaryan was furiously tapping out from the painful submission with the referee stopping the fight at 1:17 in the first round.
“This is exactly what I hoped for and it happened the way I wanted,” Magomedov said after his win. “This guy is a very good opponent for me … I want to fight, I am ready always. I don’t want to talk too much but the featherweight division is almost dying. Let’s bring it back and make it great again.”
Following the win, Magomedov said one of his teammates actually showed him that submission and he was practicing the move prior to the fight. Of course, the variation of the Scottish twister was made famous by ex-UFC fighter Stevie Ray, who pulled off the move twice while competing in the PFL including a submission win over former UFC champion Anthony Pettis.