The Atlanta Falcons finally made their quarterback decision Monday, naming Tua Tagovailoa their starter for Week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. And as far as winners of the decision go, it could end up being especially great news for Kyle Pitts.
Sources: Tua Tagovailoa has been named the Falcons’ starting quarterback for next Sunday’s regular-season opener in Pittsburgh vs. the Steelers. pic.twitter.com/Ak3RKFF5dH
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 7, 2026
After all, Tagovailoa and Pitts already displayed some chemistry during the preseason. In fact, Tua threw 13 passes in preseason and 7 of them went in Pitts' direction--that's a 54% target share. Clearly the former Pro Bowler already seems comfortable finding No. 8 when he needs a safety valve.
Even further, Pitts is coming off his best season since his historic rookie campaign as he caught 88 passes for 928 yards and five touchdowns in 2025, leading Atlanta in receiving yards and finishing second among NFL tight ends in that category, prompting the Falcons to offer him a lucrative three-year $54 million extension.
The problem is that Pitts has still been waiting for the true breakout season many expected when Atlanta drafted him… He has never reached the 1,000 yard mark again after putting up 1,026 yards as a rookie as his touchdown totals have remained surprisingly low--but that elite season may be here with Tua starting.
Kyle Pitts fits perfectly into Tua Tagovailoa's play style nowadays
There is another reason to be interested in this connection.
The 28-year-old's training camp passing numbers showed a clear preference for getting the ball out quickly. According to the AJC's charting, 84 of his 124 training camp attempts came within nine yards of the line of scrimmage. Tagovailoa also completed 87 of 133 pass attempts during training camp.
Tua has always hyper-targeted tight ends, but given he essentially can't attack defenses downfield the way he used to, the former top-five pick will have to do damage underneath. And that means Pitts should be his security blanket just like Mike Gesicki and ex-Falcon Jonnu Smith were for him in Miami.
Tua Tagovailoa's play style could be very useful for Kyle Pitts. Giving him more quick opportunities could allow him to become a bigger part of the offense without forcing Atlanta to completely change what it wants to do. And there is already evidence that Tua trusts him.
Sure that doesn't mean Pitts is suddenly guaranteed to have a career year. Preseason chemistry can disappear once regular season defenses start scheming specifically for a player. But the early signs are encouraging.
The Atlanta Falcons also have Drake London, they have Bijan Robinson, and they have several other pass catchers who will demand attention. But if defenses focus too heavily on London or Robinson, Pitts could find himself in favorable matchups underneath.
That could be where Tua makes a difference. While the Falcons made their quarterback decision with the hope that Tagovailoa can stabilize the offense while Penix continues his recovery, Pitts may end up being one of the biggest beneficiaries of that decision…
If the connection we saw during the preseason carries into the regular season, Atlanta could finally have a quarterback who consistently gets the ball to one of its most talented offensive players.
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