Falcons' Desmond Ridder Key for Kyle Pitts 'Bounce-Back'

Kyle Pitts hopes to improve this season for the Atlanta Falcons, and Desmond Ridder will be a key reason whether the needle moves or not.

Jeremy Brener | Jul 22, 2023

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Atlanta Falcons

Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts is excited to return to the football field after spending the latter half of last season sidelined with a knee injury.

The third-year pro excelled in his rookie year, having one of the best debut seasons for a tight end. However, he struggled in 2022 and was placed on injured reserve in Week 11.

About a month after Pitts was lost for the season, Desmond Ridder made his Falcons debut. The rookie quarterback threw for 708 yards in four games, all without a big target in Pitts up the middle. It's expected that Pitts and Ridder will be able to help each other succeed and break expectations.

"If healthy, Pitts does have himself a new quarterback delivering him the football, which could set the stage for a bounce-back season," CBS Sports writes.

Last season, Ridder had particularly good chemistry with Drake London, his fellow 2022 draft classmate. Add in No. 8 overall pick Bijan Robinson and touches may be hard to come by for Pitts.

However, a fully healthy Pitts may have the highest ceiling out of any skill player the Falcons have. His size in the middle of the field warrants attention, even if he is coming off of a struggling second season.

He just needs the right quarterback to unlock his potential.

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Published Jul 22, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.