INDIANAPOLIS — Kyle Pitts became the highest-drafted tight end in NFL history when the Atlanta Falcons selected him No. 4 overall in 2021.
As a rookie, Pitts backed up the Falcons' decision and finished with 1,026 yards receiving, the second most in NFL history by a first-year tight end behind only Hall of Famer Mike Ditka. Pitts made the Pro Bowl as a result.
Pitts hasn't replicated that initial success, though, and his standing with the Falcons has been questioned, despite what he has proven he can do. The latest round of inquiries happened Tuesday at the 2025 NFL Combine.
"He's always going to have the added pressure because of how high he was drafted, right?" Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said. "So, we want to be able to get the young man out there and be the best version of him. We'll always make the right decision for the Falcons, and we'll always make the right decision for us in order to get him going. We'll have to figure those things out."
In 2022, Pitts totaled just 356 yards receiving in 10 games. A knee injury ended his season prematurely.
Then, in 2023, Pitts returned to post 667 yards receiving even though he still didn't feel 100% healthy.
And finally, in 2024, Pitts tallied 602 yards receiving. No notable caveats.
"He shows some spurts of greatness," Morris said, "and he shows some things that desire more."
Let's start with the lows from last year: There were two games in which Pitts didn't catch a single target – the Week 4 win against the New Orleans Saints and the Week 13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Prior to last season, Pitts never had a game in which he did not have at least one reception.
As for the highs: His career-best four touchdowns in 2024 are a good place to start. Pitts scored the Falcons' very first touchdown of the season, a 12-yard pass from quarterback Kirk Cousins in the Week 1 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Pitts then had his first career two-touchdown game in the Week 8 win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, catching 36- and 49-yarders from Cousins. His fourth and final touchdown was a 13-yard connection with quarterback Michael Penix Jr. on fourth down in the fourth quarter of Atlanta's Week 17 loss to the Washington Commanders that sent the game into overtime.
"Look, Kyle's a really talented player," Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot said. "He's done some really good things. Man, you can make a highlight tape and see all the good things that he's done."
That's why the Falcons decided to pick up Pitts' fifth-year option last offseason. That's why he's on the roster in 2025.
After that, though, Pitts is set to become a free agent, making this season an important one for the 24-year-old. There's a lot of optimism about the potential for Atlanta's offense with the team's three most recent first-round picks — Penix, wide receiver Drake London and running back Bijan Robinson. How Pitts factors into the mix is a storyline once again.
"We believe that Kyle's going to put everything he can into being the best player he can for us," Fontenot said. "We're going to do the same for him."
