'He Looks Great!' Falcons TE Kyle Pitts in 'Good Spot' with Injury Rehab

Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts, fresh off returning to action in last Friday night's preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals, is trending upwards ... but coach Arthur Smith suggested there's a mental hurdle to overcome.

Seemingly in the blink of an eye, Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts has gone from highly touted rookie to third-year pro, seeking to send a message after an injury-shortened 2022.

The message, of course, is that Pitts is still capable of being as productive as he was as a rookie, when he entered as the highest-drafted tight end in league history at No. 4 overall and exited by breaking the franchise's rookie receptions record with 68 and posting the second-most receiving yards ever by a first-year player at the position with 1,026.

Few things went right for the 6-6, 245-pound Pitts last season, who led the NFL in off-target rate on passes intended for him at 30 percent before suffering a torn MCL in Week 11.

Across 10 games, Pitts caught only 28 of his 59 targets while collecting 356 receiving yards and two touchdowns. If he'd played the entire season at that pace, his final numbers would've included 48 catches for 605 yards and three scores, which certainly looks better than the actual final product but is nonetheless a noticeable step backwards.

But not to be lost in the numbers is that Pitts is still the same presence he was two years ago; the trials and tribulations along the way have only made him better, even if the box score hasn't yet reflected it.

Still just 22 years old, Pitts remains in the early stages of what both he and the Falcons feel can be a bountiful long-term partnership ... and the two sides took another step towards that with the former Florida star's return to the gridiron during last Friday night's 13-13 preseason tie with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Despite playing only one drive, Pitts delivered one of the game's biggest highlights - a smooth one-handed reception on a pass thrown behind him that led to a first down.

It was the first live action for Pitts since suffering the injury, though he noted that he's been hit during practice and already feels acclimated.

Better yet, Pitts feels he's in a "good spot" with his knee and believes he's playing faster mentally ... which is, in Smith's eyes, the biggest box he still needs to check.

"It's more of a mental thing. Physically, he looks great," Smith said about Pitts' performance Friday against the Bengals. "It was good for Kyle to feel that, and he was excited to be back out there. Just one more step. We had a couple of plays for him and that was good to see."

Even before his first reps of the preseason, Pitts looked ready to go - he was consistently winning reps in one-on-ones and was ramping up to full strength day-by-day during camp.

The challenge has long been feeling prepared to play ... and Pitts delivered positive news on that front earlier this week while speaking to reporters for the first time since taking the field at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

"It felt great," Pitts said. "Going back, competing with the guys in a game situation, going against other people and having that feeling again."

As such, Pitts appears to be trending in a very positive direction entering his third season, once more facing lofty expectations while catching passes from a new quarterback - Desmond Ridder - for the third time in as many years.

And while there's always a level of uncertainty with performance after injuries, both Pitts and the Falcons are confident in what's been accomplished, what's being worked towards, and perhaps most importantly, what the future holds.

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You can follow Daniel Flick on Twitter @ByDanielFlick

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