Dante Pettis’ season is over.

The Bears put their veteran wide receiver on injured reserve Friday, rendering him ineligible the rest of the year. The Bears could have kept Pettis only by putting him on their 53-man roster 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 Saturday against the Colts but was held out of practices this week with an undisclosed injury.

Pettis was the Bears’ primary punt returner last year. Velus Jones, who was the Bears’ kick returner last year, has struggled to catch punts since coming into the league last year.

The Bears re-signed Pettis this offseason after he posted 19 catches for 245 yards and three touchdowns last season. It was his best year since his rookie season in 2018.

The move brings into greater focus the Bears’ wide receiver room, which figures to include six players on the 53-man roster: DJ Moore, Darnell Mooney, Chase Claypool, Tyler Scott, Equanimeous St. Brown and Jones.

The Bears, who host the Bills in Saturday’s preseason finale, also waived receiver Joe Reed, who is injured.