FLOWERY BRANCH — Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts will be on the hot seat when his team faces the Steelers in the season opener at 1 p.m. Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
When the Falcons selected Pitts with the fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft, he became the highest drafted tight end in NFL history.
He didn’t disappoint his first season and nearly broke Mike Ditka’s longstanding record for receiving yards by a rookie tight end.
In the subsequent two seasons, Pitts did not sustained the production. Part of the reason was the trade of quarterback Matt Ryan and the shift to more of an offense that was powered by the rushing attack.
Also, there was the matter of Pitts’ health, an assortment of ailments and a knee surgery that slowed his career.
He caught 28 of 59 targets (47.5%) for 356 yards and two touchdowns over 10 games in 2022, which ended early when he suffered a torn medial collateral ligament in his right knee.
Last season, he started 15 of 17 games and caught 53 of 90 targets (58.9%) for 667 yards and three touchdowns. He had only four drops, which points to the accuracy of the quarterback.
New Falcons tight ends coach Kevin Koger studied all of Pitts’ work. He wants him to play fast, as he did in his rookie season.
The Falcons have quarterback Kirk Cousins, an established veteran they picked up in free agency.
“When I met Kyle Pitts, it’s hey, I played with Vernon Davis,” Cousins said. “I played with Jordan Reed. I played with T.J. Hockenson, with Kyle Rudolph. So, I’ve seen what a Y and what F can look like. Different ones and what they can do.”
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