Former Buckeye All-American continues bizarre NFL journey after latest damning career milestone for the Ohio State star
It has been a remarkable career for former Ohio State All-American offensive tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere, and not in a good way. Once considered a five-star recruit coming out of Tampa Bay (Fla.) Berkeley Prep, and having interest from pretty much every program in the country, a lot was expected of Petit-Frere during his career in […]
It has been a remarkable career for former Ohio State All-American offensive tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere, and not in a good way. Once considered a five-star recruit coming out of Tampa Bay (Fla.) Berkeley Prep, and having interest from pretty much every program in the country, a lot was expected of Petit-Frere during his career in Columbus.
The 6-5, 315-pound blindside protector, for the most part, lived up to those lofty expectations with the program. He became a multi-year starter for the Buckeyes, and was named to the All-Big Ten team multiple times, as well as an All-American honor following the 2021 season. With one year of eligibility remaining, Petit-Frere opted to declare for the 2022 NFL Draft.
He was selected by the Tennessee Titans in the third round of that draft, and that ended pretty much the highlight of his NFL career so far. During his three years for the Titans, Petit-Frere appeared in 34 games with 28 total starts. His performance was filled with frustrating play, a ton of pressures given up, and a lack of urgency to improve.
The former Ohio State standout also missed six games during the 2023 season while being suspended by the NFL for violating the league’s gambling policy. He also missed time during that campaign with injury, and was also relegated to third string due to his poor play as well. It was a season to forget for Petit-Frere.
It wasn’t overly surprising to see the team release Petit-Frere this offseason, not even finishing out his rookie contract.
He was given a second chance by the San Francisco 49ers earlier this offseason, hoping to tap into his untapped potential. That chapter of his career didn’t last long, seeing Petit-Frere released for the second time this offseason on Tuesday. Petit-Frere was hoping to latch on as a swing tackle behind Trent Williams and Colton McKivitz, but that hope was not realized.
With as much raw talent as Petit-Frere has, along with being still just 25 years old, this is an unfortunate circumstance of a player who just may have no drive to be great, or even serviceable for that matter. Who knows what the next move will be for the offensive tackle, but some may question if the NFL dream (?) may be coming to an end.
Petit-Frere has demonstrated interest in his next career as a fantasy football analyst, and that next venture may just end up beginning sooner than expected. Raw talent is one thing, but the drive to excel at your craft is another thing entirely. Petit-Frere is an unfortunate example that you typically need both to last on the NFL level.
Former Ohio State star may get new chance to reach Pro Bowl expectations after important coaching change in the NFL
The Ohio State Buckeyes consistently produce top-tier NFL talent. We all understand that. One of their most beloved defenders from a handful of seasons ago hasn't always performed up to expectations at the NFL level, but he's getting a unique opportunity this season (and potentially beyond) after a coaching shift. Chase Young's new role with […]
