Ja’Marr Chase gave Falcons a brutal reminder of Kyle Pitts draft blunder in Week 9

Back in 2021, the Atlanta Falcons were heading into their first season without longtime head coach Dan Quinn, replacing him with Arthur Smith. In what ended up being one of the former Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator’s first major moves, he drafted Florida Gators tight end Kyle Pitts.

Pitts, who finished with one catch for eight yards on three targets Sunday, was a certified blue-chip prospect at the time. However, at No. 4 overall, making him the highest-drafted tight end in modern NFL history... ehh, that seemed questionable.

The question resurfaced early Sunday morning for Falcons fans in the United States, who had to watch Atlanta lose 34-17 to the high-powered Cincinnati Bengals' offense in Madrid, to open up the Sunday slate of games.

Why, you ask? Ja’Marr Chase.

The uber-talented Bengals receiver not only torched the Falcons defense in Spain — eight catches, 142 yards and a 47-yard touchdown before halftime, the most first-half receiving yards of his career — he served as a painful reminder that he could have been suited up in red and black instead of orange and black. And he totaled 10 catches for 155 yards and a score on the game.

Chase was taken just one pick later at No. 5 overall by the Bengals and has since become one of the top receivers in the entire league. Meanwhile, Pitts, who as a top-five pick was supposed to reinvent the tight end position, has mostly been fun to list in breakout projection pieces every offseason.

The Atlanta Falcons should regret drafting Kyle Pitts over Ja'Marr Chase

Pitts’ career reminds me of DC films. For years, DC has been saying, “You just wait, we’re going to bring in this new creative leader, and this will rival Marvel.” With every new coach that’s come to Atlanta during Pitts’ career — and there’s been three so far — nothing has drastically changed for the 26-year-old. Even so-called tight end whisperer Kevin Stefanski has yet to make Pitts a blockbuster hit. So far, it’s hard not to argue he’s a bust.

Sure, he’ll have those types of performances, like last December’s Thursday night game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, when he caught 11 passes for 166 yards and three touchdowns. He was the first tight end since Shannon Sharpe in 1996 to post 150 yards and three scores in a game. He kept it rolling down the stretch, too, with at least six catches and 57 yards in five of his final six games.

He finished 2025 with career highs of 88 catches and five touchdowns, plus 928 yards, and earned his first All-Pro nod (second team). That run earned him a franchise tag and then a three-year, $54 million extension with $36 million guaranteed, the largest three-year deal for a tight end in league history. But is that why he was drafted as high as he was?

Obviously, Pitts was not drafted by this current regime of Ian Cunningham and Kevin Stefanski. But they committed to him long-term with the new deal. Blame the lack of consistent and talented quarterback play. That’s fair. I’m sure Pitts would love to have Joe Burrow, just like DC would love to have Christopher Nolan direct another Batman movie.

But stack their first five seasons side by side and it’s not a debate. Chase: 520 catches, 6,837 yards, 54 touchdowns. Pitts: 284 catches, 3,579 yards, 15 touchdowns. Chase has nearly double the yards and more than triple the touchdowns.

The trophy case isn’t any closer. Chase was the 2021 Offensive Rookie of the Year, has made five Pro Bowls in five seasons and has two first-team All-Pro selections. He also won the receiving triple crown in 2024, leading the league in catches, yards and touchdowns. Pitts has one Pro Bowl, from his rookie year, and one second-team All-Pro.

And the playoffs? Ja'Marr Chase played in a Super Bowl as a rookie and an AFC Championship Game the next year. Kyle Pitts doesn't have a single postseason snap. And that doesn't look to change this season. So while Atlanta drafted a good player, they came one pick away from a perennial superstar.

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