Atlanta Falcons coach not retaining TE Kyle Pitts

The Atlanta Falcons broke the mold by selecting Kyle Pitts with the fourth overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. He represented the highest pick ever used on a tight end in NFL history, and three years later, it remains that way.

At first, it seemed like the Falcons made the right decision.

During his rookie campaign, Pitts played in every game and had 68 receptions for 1,026 yards and a touchdown en route to a Pro Bowl appearance.

It looked like Pitts was poised to ascend to the upper echelon of NFL tight ends, but since that fantastic debut season, the University of Florida product has been a disappointment.

Injuries limited Pitts to just 10 games during his sophomore year, and during his time on the field he recorded just 28 catches for 356 yards and a few scores.

Then, last season, Pitts was able to stay on the field, participating in every game, but he wasn’t incredibly productive compared to his rookie campaign, catching 53 passes for 667 yards while reaching the end zone on three times.

However, the Falcons signed quarterback Kirk Cousins ​​in free agency last March, so now Pitts will have a reliable signal-caller throwing him the football.

Unsurprisingly, first-year head coach Raheem Morris is excited about Pitts heading into 2024.

“He’s very excited about being healthy, and so are we,” Morris said Friday, via D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Having a healthy Kyle Pitts gives you a really dynamic player that we believe in a lot. Hence the need to choose your option (and) let it be part of our immediate future and, hopefully, our long-term future.

Morris also understands what Pitts is capable of when he’s right.

“If we can get this guy going, we all know what he could be,” Morris said. “That’s the coach’s job, to find out what a player can be and get the best out of him. I hope that myself, my team and all of our coaches can go and get the best version of Kyle Pitts because it will be really good for all of us.

The Falcons went 7-10 and missed the playoffs last season. They haven’t reached the playoffs since the 2017-18 campaign.

If Kyle Pitts can stay healthy and Cousins ​​is able to throw the ball, things could change for Atlanta in 2024.