With nothing tangible to play for on Thursday Night Football in Week 15 of the 2025 NFL season, the Atlanta Falcons walked into Raymond James Stadium and took down the NFC South-leading Tampa Bay Buccaneers, pushing their bitter division rival into a further tailspin.
The refs were certainly the star of the night, as the Falcons somehow emerged victorious despite 19 penalties for 125 yards. But the real headliner was tight end Kyle Pitts, who continued his recent breakout by putting together a masterful performance for the Kirk Cousins-led Atlanta offense.
Of course, fans are happy to see Pitts playing so well again. He has been one of the most polarizing players on the team for years since his legendary rookie season, but he has finally asserted himself as a legitimate weapon this year.
Kyle Pitts is putting Falcons in tough spot with recent breakthrough
However, with Cousins on the books and both Drake London and Bijan Robinson needing extensions in the not-so-distant future, parting ways with Pitts this offseason seemed like a near guarantee. After all, he is set for unrestricted free agency, and unless it's at the right price point, bringing him back wasn't a priority.
But Pitts is making that decision harder and harder every week. In the last two weeks, he recorded seven catches for 82 yards and six catches for 90 yards, respectively, which helped him eclipse last year's production totals. Then, on Thursday night against the Bucs, he went absolutely nuclear.
Pitts caught an unbelievable 11 passes for 166 yards and 3 touchdowns. He came through in every big moment for Atlanta, which included a marquee score with just under four minutes left. In a sense, he was the Falcons' offense in Week 15.
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He became the first tight end since Shannon Sharpe in 1996 to have 150 or more receiving yards and 3 touchdowns in a game. No tight end in NFL history has ever reached 11 catches for 166 yards and 3 touchdowns in a game, according to the Associated Press's Josh Dubow.
Obviously, Pitts is not near the priority to pay that London or Robinson are. But without a first-round pick in next April's draft and a low amount of salary cap space available anyway, the Falcons are going to have to make some difficult decisions. Pitts' breakout is not making that equation any simpler.
This is a good problem to have, in a way, as every team wants to have its first-round picks turn into players worthy of a second contract. But in another way, it's a bad problem to be 5-9 without a Day 1 pick and not able to pay one of your emerging offensive weapons.
Yes, Pitts has certainly fooled the Falcons into thinking he was the future before. In reality, he is probably a good-not-great tight end. But as he continues to approach the level of his rookie year again with every passing game, Atlanta is being tempted, and there's really no telling what they'll do.