After a hot start to his NFL career, Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts has cooled off the past three seasons, struggling to consistently contribute in the offense.
But when asked this week by the Waterboyz Show podcast crew about Pitts' play, Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson said that he believes the time is right for the tight end to see significant growth in 2025.
"I'm expecting Kyle to take a big jump," Robinson said. "You know, Year 2 of the system. Year 2 of understanding what we're trying to do offensively. All those things that come with it, so expecting a lot of good things from Kyle. He knows what he needs to work on with the details, some of the fundamentals and techniques, the consistency down in and down out, those are things we talk about with him and (tight ends coach Kevin) Koger talks about with him all the time is those finer details and that next level that he can take as a player.
"So I'm pumped for Kyle, can't wait to get on the field with him and that's going to be a lot of fun to see his growth."
Taken at No. 4 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, the highest a tight end has ever been drafted in NFL history, Pitts has had pressure to produce from the moment he joined the Falcons.
He initially delivered in a big way, putting together a historic rookie season that featured 68 receptions for 1,026 yards and a touchdown, averaging 15.1 yards per catch and earning a Pro Bowl selection. He became just the second rookie tight end in NFL history to tally a 1,000-yard season, joining Hall of Famer Mike Ditka.
But Pitts has not been able to get close to that performance again, recording 1,625 yards in total in the past three seasons and never finishing with more than 667 yards. It certainly didn't help that his 2022 season was hampered by and then cut short by injury, notably a season-ending torn MCL, and that Atlanta has switched things up at offensive coordinator and multiple times at quarterback since that first year.
Despite Pitts struggling to regain his rookie form, the Falcons still picked up his fifth-year option last offseason, trusting that their prized young weapon could regain his footing with consistency around him.
And with Atlanta settling into the second year of Robinson's offensive scheme and hoping to start 2025 with more clarity at QB after Michael Penix Jr.'s late-season ascension, the OC believes that time is now for Pitts.
Adding on motivation for the tight end is his status entering a contract year as he looks to secure that all-important second deal by showing out in 2025. Head coach Raheem Morris has already said this offseason that he wants to see the “best version” of Pitts this year, and that the team was working to figure out what was needed to get that out of him.
With other young contributors Bijan Robinson and Drake London coming off of career years in 2024, adding a resurgent Pitts to the offensive equation could be just what the Falcons need to contend in the NFC South once again.
