The Atlanta Falcons thought they were finding the next Travis Kelce when they used the No. 4 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft on Florida tight end Kyle Pitts. While he amassed 1,000 yards receiving as a rookie, his subsequent decline in play has been difficult for this front office to stomach.
After turning Bijan Robinson into a star and watching Drake London evolve into the focal point of the passing game, Pitts has been relegated to a secondary player in this offense. With a long-term contract much less likely to materialize, many fans are wondering when a trade is going to come down the line.
Pitts trade rumors have been popping up lately, especially with former Falcons coach and Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith reportedly trying to acquire Pitts' old teammate Jonnu Smith in a deal with the Miami Dolphins. However, NFL insider Albert Breer chose to shut those rumors down very quickly.
Breer said that it is unlikely the expensive Pitts will be traded, citing the idea that his 2022 knee injury robbed him of valuable developmental time and slowed his return to peak form. Breer appears to have firmly planted his flag on Pitts Island, even as more people decide to catch the next boat out of there.
NFL insider says Falcons unlikely to trade TE Kyle Pitts
Pitts has not topped 700 yards receiving since his sparkling debut campaign. While he can lean on the excuse of subpar quarterback play for almost all of his Falcons tenure, that doesn't explain why he has been much worse than he was entering the league. The drops in big situations remain a problem.
On top of the fact that a market for Pitts may not be overly fruitful, the Falcons will fail to fight a tight end who is in possession of greater physical talent. The veteran market is bone dry, so the idea of signing a one-year stopgap appears to be out of the realm of possibility.
When you have a 6-6 tight end with wide receiver speed, any offensive coordinator will work their fingers to the bone in the name of trying to make him a viable starter at the professional level.
The Falcons will gear up for at least one more year of Pitts as the starting tight end. If he fails to connect with new franchise quarterback Michael Penix Jr., that could be the final nail in his coffin.