Kyle Pitts has never received this award in his career, but Kyle Pitts Sr. is a new man. The athlete dubbed the unicorn during the 2021 draft cycle lived up to that moniker last Thursday night.
Pitts hauled in 11 of his 12 targets for 166 yards and three touchdowns, setting new career milestones across the board. It felt like the former number four overall pick had been building up to this moment with his most recent performances, and the Florida man was finally able to have the breakout game his supporters had been dreaming of.
Pitts is still one of the most polarizing players on the roster, and his ascension may be considered too little too late by some, but regardless of how you feel about the tight end, finishing the season strong is good for everybody. Pitts is a pending unrestricted free agent, which means he could factor into the compensatory pick formula if he signs a big deal elsewhere. The Falcons could also use a franchise tag on Pitts and explore a tag-and-trade situation.
It is worth noting that this breakout has coincided with Drake London’s absence. Pitts stepping up during this time is what he’s supposed to do, but what fans want to see these performances when both are on the field. Will Pitts go back to being an afterthought, or can this team finally figure out the formula to maximize him while the team’s WR1 is on the field? Everyone would feel more confident about bringing the player back if they can pull off the latter, but history is not on the team’s side.
With London returning to practice this week, we could get a three-game sample to close out the year and get one last look at the team’s trio of first-round investments.
