The Falcons began OTAs earlier this week, and though they are voluntary, a couple of prominent players’ absences have sparked controversy — Kirk Cousins and Kyle Pitts.
On the one hand, these are voluntary workouts, and nobody should be up in arms about anyone missing time, especially Cousins, who more than likely just got a call not to show up to Flowery Branch.
Either way, Cousins being there or not being there is a big nothing-burger, and I feel similarly about Pitts. But him, I could at least understand Falcons fans being upset with not showing up. It fits a concerning pattern of a player who’s been accused of a lack of commitment and effort at times.
I still maintained it’s not a big deal in my initial blog, and a report from James Palmer clarifies that Pitts wasn’t absent from the facility but rather that a foot issue kept him off the field.
There was some curiosity regarding #falcons TE Kyle Pitts, who's in the final year of his contract, and his absence during the first OTA. My understanding is Pitts is dealing with a bit of a foot issue and was in the building, just not on the field. This isn't contract related.
— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) May 28, 2025
I’m not sure why Palmer noted this situation wasn’t contract-related because I don’t think anyone even suggested it had anything to do with his contract.
Falcons fans questioned his commitment because there have been comments from coaches about his consistency issues. Hell, we all have eyes too. We can see on Sundays that it seems like he’s rounding or giving up on routes.
Still, it was a big nothing-burger because they’re voluntary, which will make the inevitable outrage to this news annoying to me as well. Kyle Pitts has dealt with injuries during his time in Atlanta, but I wouldn’t necessarily call him injury-prone.
That’s why this shouldn’t mean anything to Falcons fans. In fact, they should see it as a relief if you were concerned about his absence.
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Photographer: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire
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