3 Atlanta Falcons players in make or break situations this season

2. Kyle Pitts

This season will go a long way in determining whether or not Kyle gets paid long-term and if he is the player Atlanta believes him to be. Let's be clear Pitts is the second all-time leader in rookie receiving yards for a tight-end.

That doesn't happen by accident and Pitts accomplished this with Matt Ryan often running for his life with no other real threats at the position. Atlanta's offense in the 2021 season was praying Ryan could stand in long enough to deliver the ball to Cordarrelle Patterson or Kyle Pitts.

One bad year with Marcus Mariota doesn't wipe away the talent or present any real concerns about whether Pitts can be a star in this league. For those that paid attention apart from the box score or fantasy football stats it was easy to see that Pitts had a down year based on quarterback play and strategy not any true regression.

However, with all that said if another injury or struggles at quarterback and Kyle puts up another clunker there is reason for concern. Pitts needs to put up back-to-back solid years for Atlanta to feel great about an extension and truly believe they have found a number one option.