Falcons 'Have a Lot of Faith' in Kyle Pitts, Says Terry Fontenot

Kyle Pitts may be entering a make-or-break season with the Atlanta Falcons.

Kyle Pitts may have entered the NFL with more hype than any tight end in league history, but through three seasons, the Atlanta Falcons star has seen his share of ups and downs.

The No. 4 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Pitts immediately showed his potential as he caught 68 passes for 1,026 yards and a touchdown in his rookie season. Pitts became the first rookie tight end to make the Pro Bowl since 2002, and just the second ever to have over 1,000 yards in his first year.

Since then, though, the former Florida Gators star has dealt with a variety of setbacks. Between injuries, bad quarterback play and misuse by former coach Arthur Smith, Pitts has struggled for much of the past two seasons, as he has fewer yards in that time frame than in just his rookie season.

Kyle Pitts / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

In 2024, Pitts is set to play the final season of his rookie contract, not counting the fifth-year option the Falcons have to make a decision on this offseason. Ahead of a potential make-or-break season for Pitts, Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot gave the tight end a ringing endorsement at the NFL Scouting Combine.

"We have a lot of faith in Kyle, and obviously he was dealing with an injury this season, and look he fought through and finished the season, but now he's healthy and he can have a healthy offseason," Fontenot told reporters. "And we're very excited about our new tight end coach, coach [Kevin] Koger, and obviously Zac Robinson, our offensive coordinator. 

"We're very excited about them, they're going to get the most of the players in this building and we know Kyle's gonna put in the work and get the most of himself, and we're gonna continue to add but we're very excited about Kyle having a great offseason and having a great year."

The new coaching staff led by Raheem Morris should be great news for Pitts. Not only has Morris stated that he intends to heavily lean on the Falcons' top weapons, but Robinson's offense primarily uses formations with one tight end, which Pitts should thrive in.

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If the Falcons can secure an upgrade at quarterback, then it could be a year to remember for Pitts and the team as a whole.