Falcons TE Kyle Pitts: Comeback Player of the Year?

The Comeback Player of the Year award could go to Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts with the help of quarterback Desmond Ridder.

Jeremy Brener | May 25, 2023

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Atlanta Falcons

Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts is due for a bounce back season in 2023.

After nearly setting a league record for receiving yards by a rookie tight end in 2021, the former No. 4 overall pick struggled in 2022, managing just 28 receptions for 356 yards in 10 games before suffering a knee injury that cost him the rest of the year.

Pitts' struggles both with quarterback Marcus Mariota and his knee are behind him, setting himself up for a major comeback. In fact, Bleacher Report identified Pitts as one of eight early candidates to win the league's Comeback Player of the Year Award.

"Without any setbacks, Pitts could begin to build a connection with Ridder from training camp through the preseason," Bleacher Report writes.

"Though Ridder only started in four games last season, he flashed his accuracy, completing 63.5 percent of his passes. The second-year quarterback will have a big target in Pitts, who's a tough coverage assignment at 6'6", 246 pounds. The pair should click right away."

Pitts has still yet to play with quarterback Desmond Ridder, who took the reins from Mariota as the starter after the former Florida Gator was lost for the season.

If Ridder can help Pitts return to form and he plays more like the 2021 version of himself, it's very possible that he could win the award and the Falcons could return to the postseason for the first time in six years.

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Published May 25, 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.