Is Kyle Pitts entering a make-or-break season with the Falcons?

After being selected with the fourth-overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Kyle Pitts had sky-high expectations. In his first year, he delivered on those expectations by nearing breaking the tight-end rookie receiving record set by Mike Ditka.

However, things took a nosedive since his phenomenal rookie campaign. In 2022, he only registered 356 receiving yards before his season-ending injury. While things were better late last season, he still never looked like his rookie self.

Much of the issues were due to extenuating circumstances but those circumstances don't change the fact that his career in Atlanta is nearing an end if he cannot reach his potential.

Kyle Pitts has two seasons to show Atlanta he deserves another contract

Kyle Pitts has to show that he can be that fourth-overall talent he was drafted to be. The harsh reality is that he hasn't produced these past two years and his career won't see a second act in Atlanta if he doesn't put everything together.

Thanks to the Falcons exercising his fifth-year option, the former Gator has two more seasons on his rookie contract. The Falcons decided to take a slight risk by picking up the option—barring a trade, they will have to pay him for a fifth season. This gives him an extra 17-plus games to prove he can be a perennial 1,000-yard receiver.

Despite this, there is a path to him packing his bags next offseason. If he does not produce, Terry Fontenot could easily put him on the trading block. Considering he is the greatest tight-end prospect ever, some team(s) would make a strong offer thinking they can extract his talents.

In other words, this is a make-or-break season for the Falcons' top tight end, even with the fifth-year option.

The best-case scenario is Kyle Pitts breaking out and becoming an invaluable piece for Zac Robinson's offense. He has all the talent, motivation, and experience to do just that.