Falcon Report

Falcons BREAKING: Kyle Pitts OUT For Season After Knee Surgery

Kyle Pitts' disappointing season for the Atlanta Falcons comes to a sour end.

Jeremy Brener

Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts can take it a little slower than he has been over the past few months.

According to head coach Arthur Smith, Pitts has been ruled out for the season after undergoing right knee surgery for an MCL injury Tuesday.

Pitts entered the 2022 season with incredibly high expectations following his incredible rookie season where he recorded over 1,000 receiving yards. He nearly broke Mike Ditka's 60-year record for receiving yards by a rookie tight end.

However, Pitts significantly regressed in his second season. After switching quarterbacks from Matt Ryan to Marcus Mariota, Atlanta adopted more of a run-heavy offense, which reduced Pitts' role in the offense. This season, Pitts recorded just 28 catches for 356 yards and two touchdowns.

With Pitts out, MyCole Pruitt's role increases tremendously. He'll be viewed as the top tight end receiving target and see the most snaps next to Parker Hesse, the top blocker.

Pruitt's value was showcased in last Sunday's game against the Washington Commanders, where he caught a touchdown on a goal-line play.

While the Pitts news hurts the Falcons, Atlanta still has a chance to make the playoffs, sitting just 0.5 game behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC South.

Atlanta looks to bounce back, without Pitts, Sunday at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Follow Jeremy Brener on Twitter @JeremyBrener.

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Jeremy Brener
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.

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