The Denver Broncos added veteran tight end Evan Engram to their tight end room last season, and he was supposed to be Sean Payton’s ‘Joker’. There was a lot of hype surrounding this addition, but unfortunately, the signing fell flat. Engram only hauled in one touchdown all season, and you could count the number of impact plays he made on one hand. The rest of the tight end room didn’t provide much either. Adam Trautman was basically your starter and contributed as a blocker, but his pass game upside
is rather limited. Nate Adkins was injured for most of the year, Lucas Krull was hurt, and rookie Caleb Lohner spent the year on the practice squad.
The Broncos tight end room was a disappointment once again, and it’s an area they need to focus on this offseason. One player who may interest them, if he hits the open market, is Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts. He was the 4th overall selection in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft and entered the league with a ton of hype. However, his career never took off like many expected, until this past year, when Pitts finally had the breakout year many expected he would have previously.
Pitts finished the year with 88 receptions for 928 yards and 5 touchdowns. He had a career high in targets, receptions, and touchdowns, and could finally be reaching the high potential many thought he had when he entered the league. Throughout his career, Pitts has totaled 284 receptions for 3,579 yards and 15 touchdowns. If you remove the sky-high expectations he had entering the league, these would be very good numbers for a tight end.
As for his fit with the Broncos, he could be Sean Payton’s ‘Joker’. He is a 6-6, 250-pound tight end with rare athleticism, and coming off a year with elite production. Get him in a better offense, with a better quarterback, and with other playmakers, and he could thrive. I think he has all the potential in the world to be the ‘Joker’ Sean Payton desires at the tight end position.
Player Profile
Kyle Pitts | Tight End | Atlanta Falcons
Height: 6-6
Weight: 250 pounds
Experience: 5 NFL seasons
2025 stats: 88 receptions for 928 yards and 5 touchdowns
Why the Broncos should sign tight end Kyle Pitts
This is a splash move that a team makes when they have their Super Bowl window wide open. They need to surround quarterback Bo Nix with playmakers; it’s as simple as that. Their tight end position did not do much at all last year, and Pitts would be a huge upgrade over what they currently have.
While Pitts may not have lived up to the immense expectations that were placed on him when he entered the league, he has developed into a pretty good tight end. 900+ yards, 88 receptions, and 5 touchdowns is nearly elite production from a tight end in today’s NFL and much better than what the Broncos have been getting from their tight ends in recent years.
Pitts is a big target with a wide catching radius, good hands, and has wide receiver talent in space. He runs routes well, can line up against corners, has the speed to get open, and to create after the catch. This is the type of player the Broncos are missing in their offense.
I have long been a Kyle Pitts fan, so I am a bit biased, but if he makes it to free agency, he will be at the top of my wishlist, along with Breece Hall. I would eat Evan Engram’s dead money and move on from that experiment, and bring Kyle Pitts into the Broncos system and give Bo Nix another playmaker.
Why the Broncos will not sign tight end Kyle Pitts
Like most of the top free agents, the franchise tag looms over them. The Falcons may slap the tag on Pitts and keep him in Atlanta for at least one more season. However, they have running back Bijan Robinson and wide receiver Drake London all set for big money extensions, so it’s also possible that Pitts could be the odd man out here.
On the Broncos’ end, they have veteran tight end Evan Engram under contract for one more year, and there isn’t an easy out in his contract. A release would come with a significant dead cap hit, plus a big-money deal for Kyle Pitts. Could the Broncos make this work? Sure. However, would they want to eat a $7 to $10 dead money cap hit after finally getting rid of Russell Wilson’s historic dead cap hit? Time will tell.
It’s possible the Broncos keep Engram for one more year and sign an Adam Trautman replacement, and then add to the room via the draft. That way would allow them to use money elsewhere and avoid another big dead cap hit.
Final Thoughts
If Pitts does become a free agent (I would be mildly surprised), then I would be personally comfortable with Evan Engram’s dead cap hit and the contract you would have to give him.
The Super Bowl window is now. The Broncos have a weakness at tight end, and Kyle Pitts would give this offense the playmaker they need at that position. This wouldn’t stop the team from upgrading at wide receiver or running back, either.
Go big.
I am open to other possibilities for this position, and we’ll outline them in upcoming profiles. However, I am a big Kyle Pitts fan and would love to see him with the Broncos.
