ESPN Predicts Kyle Pitts Traded to Pass Happy AFC Team

For the majority of his career, Atlanta Falcons' tight end Kyrie Pitts tantalized the organization with glimpses of his ability. He flashed the ability his first year in 2021 when he became only the second rookie tight end to eclipse 1,000 yards receiving.

He was struggling in year two before injuring his knee, and the following-two seasons have included a lot of prognostication on him breaking out, and a lot of excuses for why he hasn’t.

On paper, that talent should easily rank him as an elite tight end. Considering the evolution and the current role of the position, Pitts should easily fall within the top five of the league's best.

Yet he's sitting outside of the top 10 and heading in the wrong direction. He had less receptions and yards in 2024 with Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix than he did in 2023, coming off an injury and the quarterback duo of Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke.

It pains the soul to look at the players taken after Pitts in one of the best draft classes of recent memory. Pat Surtain, Micah Parsons, Ja’Marr Chase, and Penei Sewell just to name a few.

Now playing on his fifth-year option of his rookie deal, how do the Falcons find a way to get the most out of their underachieving but skilled tight end?

ESPN suggests cutting their losses and shipping him out for a Day 3 pick and salary cap relief.

Leaving the Nest for The Jungle

"Tight end Kyle Pitts is due $10.8 million on the final year of his deal in 2025,” wrote Benjamin Solak on ESPN+. “Can the Falcons get more for him in a trade than they would in a compensatory pick after he leaves in free agency? I think they could, as he has a rosier future on an offense that actually fits his skill set. My prediction: Pitts will get dealt to the Bengals for a Day 3 pick."

Analysis

Cincinnati absolutely fits for the trade. The offense desperately needs a tight end. Mike Gesicki, the 2024 starter, only signed a one-year deal and will head to free agency looking to cash in. The Bengals offense is especially air-heavy, relying on Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.

And Higgins is scheduled to be a free agent in March after playing on a franchise tag in 2024. Pitts is the perfect low-risk, high-reward option general managers crave.

As a result, defenses will abandon the middle of the field for the boundaries. Pitts will enjoy plenty of open field and one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL in Joe Burrow.

The lone issue remains the Day 3 pick. For a player of Pitts’s considerable talent that offer feels low. However, with just a one-year attachment, Atlanta will be forced to take whatever they can get, and the salary cap relief from his near $11-million guaranteed will be the big cherry.

Bottom Line

That said, the Falcons need to move on from Kyle Pitts. With everything hopefully moving forward, the time to turn the page is now. Pitts is a fantastic talent, but the questions remain regarding his consistency. He may mature into a spectacular talent as he matures, but how long can the Falcons keep investing and waiting. He was a liability in 2024.

Too often when not featured early during the course of a game, he drifts and then disappears. Too often, it looks like the Falcons play with ten players. With a young quarterback at the helm, the offense needs to utilize every level of the field. If a Day 3 pick and at least half his contract ends up as the return, shipping the former-first round pick away will end up being the best for the organization and Kyle Pitts.

What seems more likely at this point, is the Falcons, who have already invested a top-5 pick and $33 million into Pitts will roll the dice one more time in 2025 hoping to get the best out of the 24-year old.

If he has a huge season, they can always place the franchise tag on him, which would be another one-year deal worth roughly $15 million. The Falcons will be active in free agency in 2026 after getting out from under the bulk of Kirk Cousins’s contract and likely won’t be eligible for a compensatory pick even if Pitts leaves in free agency.

If they do ship him out, a conditional pick makes sense. It could start as a Day 3 and escalate has high as a second-rounder if Pitts realizes his potential with another team.