Kyle Pitts faces an uncertain future, and what appears to be tepid interest from the rest of the league, as the former first-round pick enters the final year of his contract with the Atlanta Falcons.
Pitts has been limited this spring as he continues to deal with a strained muscle in a foot, but that hasn’t quelled speculation that the former first-round pick who made the Pro Bowl as a rookie but has been a relative disappointment is reportedly looking for a long-term deal.
At least one agent familiar with the tight end market doesn’t think that Pitts will come close to commanding top of the market money, from the Falcons, or any other team.
“Very little,” a veteran agent who represents several All-Pro tight ends recently me of Pitts’ value, on the condition of anonymity to speak freely about a player he doesn’t represent.
After all, while Pitts is coming off a career-high four touchdown receptions in 2024, he hasn’t come close to matching a career-high 1,026 receiving yards as a rookie after being chosen No. 4 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft.
“He looks like he doesn’t care,” the agent continued. “He’s a tremendous athlete, but a below-average tight end. If he doesn’t win with athleticism, he’s not a savvy route runner who can get open at the top of his routes. He brings next to nothing to the run game. There is a group of general managers who will always give a former first-round pick a second chance.
“So, he’ll probably do better than he should based on his play, but I’d maybe give him $4 million with some upside. You can’t count on him to be your starter, so you can’t pay him like one.”
The Falcons have built an exciting core around second-year quarterback, Michael Penix Jr. , with running back Bijan Robinson developing into one of the most elusive and explosive in the league, Drake London a reliable pass-catcher, Darnell Mooney a reliable second option, but Pitts remains an enigma and he might be about to become an expensive one.
The question for Atlanta, and indeed the entire league, isn’t just what Pitts could be, but what he’s truly worth right now . That’s a question many GMs might be asking themselves, and maybe with a different answer than the Falcons hope for.
Inside Kyle Pitts’ Limited Trade Value
Kevin C. Cox | Getty At least one NFL executive believes the Atlanta Falcons could try to find a trade partner for Kyle Pitts.
If the Falcons decide to shop Pitts , rather than work out a long-term contract, general manager Terry Fontenot may be disappointed by the offers he comes across.
“Well, as a GM—I would let the player’s production and value to our team determine our value for his contract,” a rival NFC executive recently told me , on the condition of anonymity to speak freely about a player on another team. “I don’t think in this case, the market of what tight ends are getting is a factor.
“He has underachieved. That may be partly the Falcons’ fault because his usage has been sporadic, but he doesn’t value as a top 10 TE to me at all. Just my opinion.”
When healthy and at his most effective, Pitts is a matchup nightmare, but he is more of a 6-foot-6 and 246-pound slot receiver than complete tight end. After all, Pitts posted a meager 46.1 run-blocking grade last season, from Pro Football Focus .
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Catching 196 passes for 2,651 yards with 10 career touchdowns through his first four seasons, the 2024 season may offer an ideal blueprint for how the Falcons, or some other team, might be able to maximize him.
Last season, only five tight ends averaged more than Pitts’ 8.7-yard average depth of target as he ranked fourth in the league in yards per catch, averaging 12.8 per reception. So, there are glimpses of the playmaker Atlanta thought they were choosing with a top-five selecfion, they are just often few and far between.
So, while Pitts remains a physical anomaly, the question of his true worth for any team looking to acquire him will likely be grounded not in his ceiling, but in the frustrating inconsistencies that have plagued his career to this point.
Could Patrick Mahomes Resurrect Kyle Pitts?
Jamie Squire | GettyThe Kansas City Chiefs could look to aggressively pursue a trade to add a weapon to Patrick Mahomes’ supporting cast.
If there were ever a team intent on resurrecting the career of a former first-round pick, it’s the Kansas City Chiefs.
As Travis Kelce continues to be far closer to his retirement than he is to the beginning of his career, it wouldn’t be the least bit surprising if the Chiefs begin planning for life after the future Hall of Famer in Patrick Mahomes’ arsenal.
Nick Halden of KCKingdom suggests Pitts could be an intriguing trade target for the Chiefs, with Andy Reid looking to finally unleash the potential Pitts’ athleticism has always dangled.
“While Atlanta marches to the beat of its own drum when it comes to managing its roster, there have been consistent trade rumblings. It is noteworthy that Pitts didn’t take part in OTAs and remains in trade rumors dating back to the end of the season,” Halden writes .
“It seems an early-day two pick might be enough to get the deal done in what would be a rental for the 2025 season. While this is a high price to pay for a lone season, the potential elite ability of the pass catcher makes the fit far too enticing not to consider.”
Pitts alongside the likes of Xavier Worthy and Marquise “Hollywood” Brown would, if nothing else, bolster the field-stretching element of Mahomes’ skill-set and the Chiefs’ offense.
Whether the Falcons ultimately shop Pitts remains a great unknown, so too does whether the Chiefs have any interest whatsoever, but the fit has the chance to be tantalizing.
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