The Falcoholic
The long-term future of Kyle Pitts was bound to gain more attention. Given the uncertainty surrounding Raheem Morris and Terry Fontenot, it seemed realistic that the discussions about re-signing the unique playmaker would wait until decisions were made on the current regime. The wait abruptly ended following his sensational performance last Thursday night.
What Pitts did against Tampa Bay opened plenty of eyes and generated immediate conversations about his future. That’s what being the first tight end to produce over 150 receiving yards and three touchdowns in a game since Shannon Sharpe in Week 6 of the 1996 season will do for you.
As exceptional as the former fourth overall pick was, it was only his fourth career 100-yard game. The first three occurred in his rookie season. While Pitts had multi-game stretches of producing more than 75 yards in 2023 and 2024, it had been a long time since he truly took over a game. Some of it can be attributed to having to cope with below-average to non-viable NFL quarterback play. There were many instances where Arthur Smith and Zac Robinson assembled game plans that simply didn’t involve him. For all the personnel and schematic issues around him, Pitts had his own issues that derailed his progression following his impressive rookie season.
He endured lingering knee injuries between 2022 and 2024. It was evident that the explosiveness wasn’t there with how he was trying to get in and out of breaks. His inability to run past or evade defenders after the catch limited his impact when receiving short targets in the middle of the field. Those days of being limited appear to be over for the polarizing tight end. Pitts has looked more explosive in stretching the field and dangerous after the catch this season. There is a tenacity to his game that had been lacking.
Besides struggling in November, he has been a difference maker all year. That leads to a new hot topic surrounding the Falcons that doesn’t involve the head coach, general manager, or quarterback. Should Pitts be re-signed to a lucrative deal? Here are the reasons to commit to him, while considering why it may be best to let him play elsewhere.
The type of explosiveness, athleticism, and positional versatility Pitts possesses is hard to find at the tight end position. Combining those attributes with a more aggressive mentality leads to a potential 1,000-yard season. Pitts set the tone from the start of the season by creating separation against man coverage and gaining yards after the catch. Standout plays against Tampa Bay and Minnesota translated into a complete performance against Washington. What makes Pitts’ resurgent season most encouraging is finding comfort as an in-line tight end.
Per Pro Football Focus, the former Pro Bowler has already played 229 snaps as an inline tight end. That is already a career high with three games remaining in the season. The way Pitts has acclimated to playing as a more traditional tight end provides...
