The ‘sky’s the limit’ for Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts through 2024

As he navigates a new program this offseason under new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, Pitts is working double time to become an impact player for this Falcons offense. ESPN’s Marc Raimondi reports that Robinson is asking Pitts to “basically learn two different positions, because there’s tight end and receiver work.” With this heavy workload, Robinson is “excited to see (Pitts) continue to get more comfortable in the system.”

In his historic rookie year, Pitts completed 68 of 107 targets for 1,026 yards, while lining up wide 34.2% of the time, the most of any tight end in 2021, according to PFF. That was the appeal of Pitts when he came into the league, that ability to cause mismatches and win at different spots on the offense. A quarterback’s dream is to have a big target like Pitts who can line up all over the field. This opens up the offense in a way that other weapons simply cannot.

Earlier this offseason, Pitts said his job as a tight end is to be quarterback Kirk Cousins’ “security blanket.” All great quarterbacks had that security blanket they could count on.

• Tom Brady had Rob Gronkowski
• Patrick Mahomes to Travis Kelce
• Peyton Manning had Dallas Clark
• John Elway had Shannon Sharpe
• Matt Ryan had Tony Gonzales

Pitts is looking to be next in line for Cousins ​​and, possibly, rookie Michael Penix, Jr. Raimondi’s article highlighted how Pitts has a “personal vendetta” to return to his rookie form , according to head coach Raheem Morris.

Every year since his freshman year, his yards per route run, a metric PFF uses to see how effectively an individual is being used, have declined.

• 2021: 2.02 (4th among tight ends)
• 2022: 1.69 (7th)
• 2023: 1.43 (16th)

During his time in Minnesota, Cousins ​​did not have a tight end like Pitts. The closest he’s had was TJ Hockenson last season, who still spent about half his snaps as a tight end in Kevin O’Connell’s offense.

Pitts is a target who can dictate coverages and, at his best, stretch the field vertically both up the seams and outside the numbers. His versatility has everyone excited to see what Pitts can do in an offense where he can line up virtually anywhere in the offense.

As Robinson said, “there’s no limit to the kind of season (Pitts) can have.”