Atlanta Falcons’ Coach Doesn’t Hold Back On TE Kyle Pitts

The Atlanta Falcons broke the mold when they selected Kyle Pitts with the fourth overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft. It represented the highest pick ever used on a tight end in NFL history, and three years later, it remains that way.

Early on, it looked like the Falcons made the right decision.

During his rookie campaign, Pitts played in every game and hauled in 68 receptions for 1,026 yards and a touchdown en route to a Pro Bowl appearance.

It looked as if Pitts was about to ascend into the upper echelon of tight ends in the NFL, but since that fantastic debut season, the University of Florida product has been a disappointment.

Injuries limited Pitts to just 10 contests in his sophomore year, and during his time on the field, he logged just 28 catches for 356 yards and a couple of scores.

Then, this past season, Pitts was able to stay on the field, participating in every game, but he wasn’t incredibly productive in comparison to his rookie campaign, catching 53 passes for 667 yards while reaching the end zone three times.

However, the Falcons signed quarterback Kirk Cousins in free agency this past March, so now, Pitts will have a reliable signal-caller throwing him the football.

Not surprisingly, first-year head coach Raheem Morris is pumped about Pitts heading into 2024.

“He’s very excited about being healthy, and so are we,” Morris said Friday, via D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Getting a healthy Kyle Pitts gives you a really dynamic player that we believe in a lot. Hence, the picking up of his option (and) letting him be a part of our immediate and hopefully our long-term future.”

Morris also understands what Pitts is capable of when he’s right.

“If we can get this guy going, we all know what he could be,” Morris said. “That’s the job of the coach, to find out what a player can be and go get the best out of him. Hopefully, myself, along with my staff, and all of our coaches, we can go and get the best version of Kyle Pitts because that will be really good for all of us.”

The Falcons went 7-10 and missed the playoffs this past season. They have not made it to the postseason since the 2017-18 campaign.

If Kyle Pitts can stay healthy and Cousins is able to deliver the ball, things may change for Atlanta in 2024.