2026 is finally here, and a lot has changed over the last year. Looking back, the Falcons failed to make the playoffs yet again, but have sparked growing confidence in the 2026 season. Assessing the roster, there are plenty of holes to fill in the offseason, and many changes will be made.
This spring is the time to discuss adding players, here, we'll discuss leaving players in 2025. Buckle up, you may not like my list.
2 surprising Falcons players fans should beg Atlanta to leave in 2025
TE Kyle Pitts
I don't care about his late-season resurgence; the Falcons are better off without Kyle Pitts. His previous three and a half seasons have been putrid, and he will not be an elite tight end in Atlanta. I do believe he is capable of great things, but he's never been treated like it.
2025 has been his most productive season since his rookie campaign, but not enough for me to buy in. Yes, 82 receptions and 870 yards are fantastic for a tight end, but he produces when he's the only option, that's it. Take the Falcons rollercoaster victory over the Rams, as an example.
Fresh off the best month of his career (with Drake London injured), his only productive month this season, Pitts was shut down. He caught two passes for 16 yards and was targeted three times. Why? Because Drake London returned from injury, and Pitts was no longer the No. 1, If he's not the Alpha, he won't function whatsoever. He's proved this for four straight seasons.
Sure, London had a terrible game as well, but this theme has been going on all season.
I'll admit, he'll likely thrive on a different team, and Falcons' fans will get mad at me, but it must be done. This team has never mastered how to utilize Pitts, and you're delusional if you think they'll finally figure it out in his sixth season.
An argument can be rightfully made that Atlanta needs Pitts because of the lack of receiving playmakers. Yes, the Falcons desperately need better receivers (outside of London), but Pitts isn't helping. The Falcons' leading receiver on MNF was 29-year-old UDFA David Sills V. Not London, Mooney, Robinson, or Pitts. Let that sink in.
My response to this argument: If Atlanta needs Pitts so badly because of the lack of playmakers, why aren't they using him more? On a night with everyone healthy, Sills carried the workload.
The Falcons must leave Kyle Pitts in 2025
WR David Sills V
On that note, the receiver depth hit a new low when Sills stepped onto the field. He totaled thirteen receptions over his first six seasons in the NFL, mainly manning the practice squad.
Before signing with Atlanta, his last notable statistic was in 2022 with the Giants when he recorded 106 receiving yards, the bulk of his career playing time.
Sills has only been targeted more than four times once, when he had six receptions for 78 yards on 10 targets in Week 15. Whether he's a situational necessity or Kirk Cousins likes him too much, he needs to be left in 2025.