Steelers Now
Could the Pittsburgh Steelers be looking to reunite Arthur Smith with yet another one of his former tight ends? According to a report by Jordan Schultz of FOX, they just might get that chance.
Shultz reported on Friday that the Atlanta Falcons have been fielding trade calls about star tight end Kyle Pitts. The Falcons would reportedly prefer to keep Pitts, and would require at least a Day 2 pick to spark interest, according to Schultz.
Pitts was Atlanta’s first-round pick at No. 4 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. The club picked up his fifth-year option for the 2025 season last summer, meaning he will likely be looking for a contract extension this offseason. Pitts is set to earn $10.9 million this season.
Pitts was the first draft pick of Smith’s tenure as Atlanta Falcons head coach, and he had by far the best season of his career under Smith as a rookie in 2021, when he made 68 catches for 1,026 yards and one touchdown.
Since then, uncertainty at the quarterback position hasn’t let Pitts reached his potential. The Falcons moved on from Matt Ryan for 2022, leading to a series of poor options at the position. Last year, with Smith moving on to Pittsburgh, Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix split time, but neither was able to unlock Picks, who had the worst yards-per-game average of his career at 35.4.
The Steelers have been actively searching for another pass-catching option after trading George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys earlier this offseason, and apparently, that search has taken them beyond the wide receiver position, with the Steelers reportedly talking to the Miami Dolphins about Jonnu Smith — another former Arthur Smith protege and Pitts’ teammate in Atlanta.
In 2023, Pitts had 667 yards and Smith had 582 as the tight ends finished second and third among the Falcons’ receivers. Wide receiver Drake London was third and pass-catching back Bijan Robinson was fourth.
Without an experienced second wide receiver, the Steelers could be looking to repeat that plan with Pat Freiermuth and another tight end alongside DK Metcalf and Jaylen Warren.
Of course, the Steelers are also still looking into wide receivers, so this dalliance with the tight end position is likely about general manager Omar Khan leaving no stone unturned when it comes to upgrading the offensive weapons on the team. It’s not clear if the Steelers are one of the teams that have reached out to the Falcons about Pitts.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Another Former Arthur Smith TE Could Hit Trade Market for Steelers
