If we are being blatantly honest, Kyle Pitts' career with the Atlanta Falcons has not gone well. While his career got off to a hot start, the last two seasons have been disappointing.
Much of it isn't his fault. He endured a bad carousel of quarterbacks, a significant knee injury in 2022, and misusage in Arthur Smith's offense. The good news is things will be different for the fourth-year pro.
Here are three reasons the highest-draft tight end in NFL history will finally be the player we all know he can be.
1. Kyle Pitts finally has a quarterback in an efficient passing scheme
Matt Ryan is the only quarterback Kyle Pitts has had since entering the NFL. Uncoincidentally, when Ryan was throwing him the ball, he went over 1,000 yards. Having Kirk Cousins throwing him the ball will put him back on pace for those kinds of numbers.
You also have to consider that Pitts had his 1k season under Arthur Smith who, as we all know, isn't a pass-first coordinator.
The combination of Zac Robinson and Kirk Cousins will easily help the Falcons' top tight end reach new career highs in every statistic.
2. Kyle Pitts will be fully healthy after late-season surge in 2023
Kyle Pitts wasn't healthy in 2023. We often assume that players will return to full health in the next season after a season-ending injury but the truth is that most players take more than a year to return to full form.
Pitts couldn't make those hard, definitive cuts for much of last season and his knee was to blame. It finally looked like he was getting confidence back late and it turned into production.
With another offseason under his belt, he should be ready to go in week one. Prepare for a special season.
3. Kyle Pitts is hungry and motivated
Things have not gone how Kyle Pitts would have liked to start his career. While he made a Pro Bowl as a rookie, he hasn't had any consistency since. He knows that and he is ready to prove he can be the league's most dominant receiving threat.
He recently spoke about seeing himself as a 'super rookie' which is certainly true. He hasn't had a fair go of it since Matt Ryan left and he is ready to put that all behind him and basically start his NFL career over.
Not only is he motivated to prove he was worth the fourth-overall pick but he is ready to prove he is worth a massive second contract.
The combination of Kyle Pitts being fully healthy, having an accurate quarterback, playing in a good passing scheme, and being motivated should terrify every defense that the Atlanta Falcons go up against.
