Falcons: Kyle Pitts gets slammed for stats, while OBJ gets a contract

Don’t you just love it when people say “life isn’t fair”? Well, it is a true statement and if you do not believe me then look no further than the narrative around Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts and current free agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.

Obviously, this is not an apples-to-apples comparison but it still illustrates how different paths can form contradicting views.

There is hype surrounding Odell Beckham Jr. while the opposite is true for Falcons TE Kyle Pitts

The Atlanta Falcons, unfortunately, have lost Kyle Pitts for the remainder of the year on a play that should have never happened, but that is beside the point, what is the point is that there are opposite narratives surrounding Kyle Pitts and Odell Beckham Jr. despite their similar statistics.

People are talking about Kyle Pitts as a bust right now. It is a completely ignorant view but whatever, he will surely prove them wrong when he is healthy and has accurate passes coming his way.

Meanwhile, we have Odell Beckham Jr. who last played in the Super Bowl back in February before he had a significant injury. He hasn’t played a snap this year, is coming off of an injury, has had off-the-field concerns, and didn’t even put up great stats last year. Yet, CBS Sports is talking about him getting paid $15.5 million per year!

There is a clear bias here, as well as hope for what once was. During his hay day, Odell was one of the best in the game but when was the last time he even put up good stats? He hasn’t had 1,000 yards in three years.

Compare this to Kyle Pitts who put up 1,000 yards in his first season. If you compare Pitts’ limited 2022 season on a per-game basis to Odell’s in 2021, they are essentially the same! But one is seen as a massive failure while the other is “worthy” of getting paid $15.5 million per year.

For heck’s sake, there was an “Odell Beckham Bowl” played on Thanksgiving between the Giants and Cowboys where it was rumored the winner would get OBJ to sign with them, meanwhile, Kyle Pitts is being dragged through the mud by 95% of NFL fans.

At least Kyle Pitts had an excuse for disappointing statistics this year due to the fact that 30% of his targets were off-target and he played in a run-first offense. Odell Beckham had a Pro Bowl QB in Matt Stafford throwing to him on a deadly passing offense.

This may not be a fair-direct comparison per se, but there is still a lot of truth to all of this. Either Kyle Pitts is being treated totally unfairly or Odell Beckham is being extremely overhyped. Or, if you want my opinion, it is a whole lot of both.