The Falcons are disappointed with Kyle Pitts. Fans are disappointed with the highest-drafted tight end in league history. Hell, I imagine he’s disappointed in himself to this point in his career.
After bursting onto the scene as a rookie, a season in which he broke a slew of league and franchise records en route to a Pro Bowl bid, Pitts has struggled with injuries and inconsistencies.
The 2021 4th overall pick totaled 1,026 yards in 17 games, averaging more than 15 yards per reception and more than 60 yards per game. Since then, which spans three seasons and 44 games, Pitts has only put up 1,625 yards and has been limited to less than 13 yards per catch and 36.9 yards per game.
The Falcons’ quarterback situation is certainly a factor. Matt Ryan is the only signal caller that has ever given the team consistent play at the position for an entire season, and it coincides with Kyle Pitts’ best season.
Marcus Mariota, Desmond Ridder, and Taylor Heinicke gave Atlanta replacement-level play, at best. More often than not, it was well-below-average play. Then, Kirk Cousins stabilized the position for about nine weeks before an injury resulted in his play falling off a cliff.
However, poor quarterback play is only part of the equation. Injuries have also played a part. Pitts was limited to only 10 games in 2022 after suffering a knee injury in which he tore his MCL and PCL.
It clearly plagued Pitts in 2023; in fact, according to Albert Breer, he had to get the knee drained that season regularly, stunting his development as a player who was still learning the position.
Is it possible that the knee injury lingered into 2024? It would make sense. The Kyle Pitts we saw in 2021 hasn’t been the same Kyle Pitts the last three seasons. The routes aren’t crisp. He doesn’t look like the unicorn that he was coming out of Florida. How is that possible? Perhaps that knee injury is still impacting him.
At a certain point, Kyle Pitts has to look in the mirror, and I’m not making excuses for him, but perhaps another year removed from the knee injury, along with Michael Penix Jr. for an entire season, will prove to be the catalyst that gets Pitts’ career back on track.
The only caveat to that is he’s once again dealing with a lower-body injury. Adam Schefter reported that Kyle Pitts is dealing with a strained muscle in his foot. Raheem Morris said the club is taking things extremely cautiously with Pitts, which seems like the obvious thing to do at this point in the offseason.
Being 100% healthy, so there are no more excuses, has to be the goal for not only Kyle Pitts but also the Falcons.
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Photographer: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire
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