All offseason, the assumption around Atlanta Falcons and Kyle Pitts has been simple: He’s staying. After all, he’s franchise tagged. He’s only 25. He just had a career year. And he fits perfectly in Kevin Stefanski’s offense.
But for the first time since the Falcons placed the franchise tag on Pitts in March, there’s legitimate smoke suggesting something Falcons fans haven’t really considered: Pitts is not untouchable.
Cause at his pre-draft press conference, general manager Ian Cunningham was asked directly about Pitts and the idea of a trade, and his answer was telling.
"For all the players, we’re going to listen. That’s our job. That doesn’t mean that that’s going to happen. People call, we’ll listen."
The Atlanta Falcons could actually look into trading Kyle Pitts for the right prrice
ESPN's Adam Schefter pitched in too, placing Pitts in his "other trade candidates to watch heading into Thursday night's NFL Draft” category. And when you pair that with the fact Atlanta only has five draft picks and Cunningham has already shown he’s willing to move former players, the context starts to shift.
Why teams would absolutely call
Kyle Pitts is coming off an 88 catch, 928 yard, five touchdown season. He finished second among tight ends in receiving yards. And nearly 60% of his career snaps have come split wide or from the slot. The kid is an absolute matchup nightmare.
For teams like the Baltimore Ravens, Denver Broncos, Cincinnati Bengals, or Tennessee Titans that are light at the position, this is exactly the kind of player you call about on draft night.
But here’s the thing: The Falcons don’t want to trade Kyle Pitts. But they also aren’t in a position to hang up the phone if someone offers a crazy deal for a player on a one year deal. I mean subtract him from this offense and suddenly the pass catching group looks very different, and not in a good way:
- Bijan Robinson
- Drake London (final contract year)
- Jahan Dotson
- Olamide Zaccheaus
- Austin Hooper
Pitts is currently the No. 2 option in the passing game and in a year where Atlanta must properly evaluate its quarterbacks, removing him is not something they can do lightly.
But this is also a roster that needs help at wide receiver, right tackle, defensive tackle, linebacker, and corner. Draft capital matters. Especially since the Falcons only have five total selections. Don’t expect a trade. But also don’t be shocked if Kyle Pitts’ name comes up repeatedly on draft night.
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