Falcons New 'No. 1 Wide Out' Flourishing at Long Last, Here To Stay?

The Atlanta Falcons tight end is rising up to be one of the more important pieces of the offense in a resurging season

The Falcons' tight end is working hard to earn himself a payday this offseason | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

At this point, Kyle Pitts Sr.’s up-and-down NFL career has become a bit of an inside joke for fantasy football fans.

While the Atlanta Falcons’ tight end has continued to flash the near-unprecedented athleticism that made him a Pro  Bowler as a rookie, the former fourth-overall pick has also been a non-factor during multiple stretches throughout his five-year career.

The former Florida Gator is experiencing a career revival this season, and had the best game of his NFL career during the Atlanta Falcons’ 29-28 win over the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday.

11 catches
166 yards
3 TD

Kyle Pitts making many @NFLFantasy owners happy tonight😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/A78r9xhikq

— NFL (@NFL) December 12, 2025

During Thursday’s win, he hauled in a career high 11 passes for 116 yards and three touchdowns.

“He's out there as the number one wideout, so to speak,” head coach Raheem Morris said on Monday. “So, he got the targets. He got the targets that Drake [London] would get when he's playing. He got those. He got his targets that he would normally get. He was able to go out there and get the plays called to him. He made some early, and when you make those plays early, you show that kind of confidence – you keep going back to him.” 

Through 14 games, the 6-foot-6, 250-pound tight end has already caught a career-high 73 passes and tied his career-high with four touchdowns to go along with 797 receiving yards. 

He is currently on pace to finish the season with 89 catches, 968 yards (second-most of his career) and five touchdowns. With how he’s playing, he’s going to get the chance to feed and fan the high-caliber season. 

“There's going to be highly targeted guys, and Kyle's definitely earned the right to be one of those highly targeted guys,” Morris said.  

Can He Keep It Up?

According to Pro Football Focus, Pitts Sr. has hauled in 76.8% of his targets this season, the highest rate of his career by nearly 10 percentage points. 

The improvement can be attributed in part to an increase in designed touches and Pitts being a primary read in Atlanta’s offense. Last season, he caught just three passes behind the line of scrimmage. This year, Pitts has already tripled that total.

PFF shows that Pitts Sr. has also seen more targets at every depth level this season, behind the line of scrimmage, short, intermediate, and deep, than he did a year ago.

That extra usage has translated into more efficiency. After catching just 25 percent of his deep targets last season, Pitts has doubled that mark to 50 percent this year, which reflects both increased confidence and more intentional play-calling.

His ability to generate separation came into question last season, but this season, he ranks among the top 15 in the NFL with an average of 3.7 yards of separation per route.

Will Atlanta Retain Him?

With Pitts Sr. scheduled to become a free agent this upcoming off-season, he picked the right time to have a bounce-back season.

The former Gator ranks third in receiving yards among tight ends. For a team invested in first-round quarterback Michael Penix Jr., it makes sense to surround him with talent, and Pitts Sr., Bijan Robinson, and Drake London provide a solid set of weapons.

This isn’t an aging veteran returning to form and having one last good season. Pitts is 25 years old, and his improved production reflects real growth for a player whose best football is still likely ahead of him.