The Atlanta Falcons are hoping to get the most out of tight end Kyle Pitts this season. The former top-five pick is entering the final year of his rookie contract and his stock seems to be at an all-time low. Pitts is still a quality starter at his position, but the days of NFL analysts talking about him as a generational talent are behind us.
Even though he’s still just 24 years old, Pitts has gone from a player deemed the next Travis Kelce to another athletic tight end with average production. In 2024, the former Florida standout recorded 47 catches for 602 receiving yards and four touchdowns.
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The Falcons offense focused more on Drake London and Bijan Robinson last season, leaving Pitts as the third or fourth weapon most weeks. This decreased role has led to trade speculation. According to reports from ESPN and FOX Sports, Atlanta has received calls on Pitts’ availability, but the team isn’t actively looking to trade him.
Pitts was ranked in the bottom half of Pro Football Focus‘ tight end rankings ahead of the 2025 NFL season, landing at No. 19.
“It’s time to come to reality with Pitts. His 1,026-yard rookie campaign was not a sign of things to come, but merely a blip on the radar for the athletic phenom,” wrote PFF’s John Kosko. “While he has posted at least 600 receiving yards in each of the past two years, he ranks just 15th at the position in total yards during that time and competes for targets in an offense that will spread the ball around to multiple other top-tier options.”
It’s certainly fair to say Pitts’ rookie season was misleading, but the tight end position tends to be misleading in general. If you were to scroll to the top of PFF’s tight end rankings, you’d see rookie sensation Brock Bowers in the No. 2 spot.
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Bowers posted 112 receptions for 1,194 receiving yards and four touchdowns. Based on volume alone, Bowers’ rookie year was undoubtedly more impressive than Pitts’. However, both players were the top targets on their teams, and both missed the playoffs.
It’s not easy to top 1,000 yards as a tight end, and it’s even harder to do so when defenses have film on you. This isn’t to say Bowers is overrated or will fall off in 2026, but it’s interesting to see him placed above so many tight ends with more than one season of success under their belts.
As the Falcons added more talent, including wide receiver Drake London and running back Bijan Robinson, Pitts saw his role decrease on offense. Atlanta’s quarterback play declined after the team traded Matt Ryan, and the former No. 4 overall pick suffered a knee injury during his second season.
At worst, Pitts is an average tight end who still has decent upside. However, players selected in the top five are held to a higher standard. Perhaps a full year with Michael Penix Jr. at quarterback will change the perception of Atlanta’s fifth-year tight end.
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If Pitts fails to produce this season, though, he will likely be playing elsewhere in 2026.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Falcons News: Kyle Pitts receives below average ranking from PFF