Kyle Pitts Could Be Falcons’ X-Factor in Sunday’s Season Opener

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga – The Atlanta Falcons are set to kick off their 2025 season on Sunday with the four-time defending NFC South champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With the status of Darnell Mooney continuing to linger over the team, there is a reasonable question as to who could step into that role for Atlanta if he were to miss snaps.

Drake London would likely carry a larger load, as he did in Week 18 against the Panthers when he was targeted 18 times, but who else could step in? Casey Washington and Ray-Ray McCloud are potential solutions, but one other player could be a tremendous option, and that is Kyle Pitts Sr.

“He's had a great camp up to this point, and the attention to detail, everything's there,” Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson said about his tight end. “I'm fired up where Kyle's at. I know the rest of the guys are as well and can't wait to see him cut it loose on Sunday.”

The former first-round pick has had a relatively quiet career in Atlanta, with a pair of 600-yard seasons after suffering a knee injury in 2022. This season, as he enters a pivotal final year of his rookie contract in 2025, could make for a breakout campaign for Pitts.

Pitts, 24, is still an extremely young player by NFL standards, but he will already be working towards his second professional contract. Despite a level of production that comes in below his draft pedigree, there is plenty of reason to believe the best still may be ahead for the 6-foot-6, 250-pound tight end.

"I just mentioned all the guys when you’re talking about what gives our offense a lot of success, and Kyle Pitts is definitely one of those guys that you could mention," Morris said. "You guys have got the exposure of being able to see him have some success this offseason, to be able to have some success at the end of last season with Mike, and now get a chance to go watch those guys do it.”

Speaking of that success, Michael Penix could be what kicks Pitts’ career into the next gear.

The pair 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. Pitts was not one of the featured targets for the second-year quarterback after Mooney went down last season (three targets in Week 18), but that could change on Sunday.

Against Tampa in 2024, Pitts accounted for his two best performances of the season. Albeit with a different quarterback under center, he caught 13 passes for 179 yards and two touchdowns in the pair of Falcons wins, or nearly a third of his yards and half of his total touchdowns for the season.

Kirk to Pitts for the 41-yard TD on 4th and 3! #NationalTightEndsDay

📺: #ATLvsTB on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/74YVXJTf29
— NFL (@NFL) October 27, 2024

No matter how you cut it, this season will weigh very heavily on Pitts. He will be auditioning for his next contract, whether it comes in Atlanta or somewhere else. Starting with Tampa may be a blessing for him, though, if last season was any indication. Still, he has to go out and show what he can do.

“You've got to go out there and repeat those things - but feel really good and confident,” Morris said. “[The Falcons] were close last year to being great, and we’ve got a chance to go out there and prove some things this year, and I look forward to doing it.”

For Pitts, that proof starts Sunday. In a contract year and against a division rival he’s thrived against before, the former top pick has his best chance yet to remind everyone why he was once billed as a unicorn.