Atlanta Falcons See Encouraging Performance from Kyle Pitts vs. Buccaneers

ATLANTA, Ga – The Atlanta Falcons’ Week 1 23-20 loss to Tampa Bay came with disappointment, but it also offered a promising glimpse of Kyle Pitts Sr's resurgence.

The former No. 4 pick from Terry Fontenot’s first draft in 2021 has never quite lived up to his ‘unicorn’ billing from his rookie scouting report, but Sunday did provide a snapshot of what he could potentially be for the Falcons this season as he enters the final year of his rookie contract.

Pitts was targeted eight times on the day, catching seven passes for 59 yards, with 38 of those coming after the catch. He was second on the team in all three categories.

“I thought he did a nice job, you know, like he went out there, made a couple plays,” head coach Raheem Morris said Monday. “Whether it was chip flats, or he was part of the short passing game that we had to go to in order to keep the sticks moving. You know, he made a couple big-time third-down catches.”

More important than the stat line was the level of effort Pitts showed, with five of his catches moving the chains.

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You could see it in particular on the team’s final drive as Michael Penix Jr was driving the team down the field. With London banged up late and Mooney sidelined, Pitts became the go-to option on the final drive. He caught both of his targets on the drive and helped get the Falcons in position to win the game.

“He had a nice catch and run on a couple of plays, whether it was a stick route to the flat or really using his body and his stiff arm to create some more space for himself,” Morris continued. “He did some really good things. Did some good stuff in the run game, he did a nice job with some of his check blocks and, you know, helping out over there, and protection and some of those different things.”

Pitts himself downplayed his strong performance after the game, saying, “I mean, it's good on the stat-sheet but we didn't get a win.”

But after several seasons of inconsistency, this could be something to build on for Pitts. Since his breakout first season, where he flirted with the rookie record for receiving yards as a tight end, he has struggled to return to that level of production.

Pitts got off to a slow start in year two, but that season was ultimately derailed by a knee injury. He followed that up with a pair of 600-yard seasons, but he was targeted 18% less in 2024 than he was in 2023, and 33% less than he was in 2021.

If Sunday was any indication, the still 24-year-old tight end could be a more featured part of the offense with Penix under center, where he was targeted on 19% of his attempts. In the small sample size, his target share would extrapolate out to what would be a career high 136 targets for a full season.

The relationship between Penix and Pitts took center stage during training camp after it came out that they were golfing buddies, but they will be expected to take that connection to the next level in the regular season.

Again, it is a small sample size with a pair of key contributors missing time in the game, but this is encouraging for a player who still possesses the physical tools to be a difference-maker in this league and change the look of this offense in Atlanta.

If Pitts can build on this performance, the Falcons may finally unlock the unicorn they drafted in 2021, and just in time for a pivotal contract year.