For a third consecutive season, Kyle Pitts has vastly underperformed expectations.
Following a historic rookie campaign in which Pitts set multiple franchise records on the way to the Pro Bowl, injuries and poor quarterback play really hamstrung the 2021 4th overall pick. However, with a receiver-friendly quarterback under center in Kirk Cousins and a healthy offseason, most once again bought into the notion that Kyle Pitts could still become the elite weapon he was labeled as coming into the NFL Draft.
But to this point, the 2024 campaign might be Pitts’ most disappointing season to date. He has just 543 receding yards on 41 catches and is seemingly being phased out of the offense with each passing week. Pitts has been targeted five times or less in seven of the last eight games. He’s eclipsed 50 yards receiving just once in the last seven games, a 55-yard performance in Week 10 against the Saints.
The numbers are unsettling, considering the wealth of All-Pro players that were drafted right behind him, like Ja’Marr Chase, Micah Parsons, Penei Sewell, and Patrick Surtain II.
But like Michael Penix’s debut, box scores don’t tell the entire story, and while Pitts’ numbers are underwhelming, the performance on the field is even worse. Whether it’s lazy route running, a lack of focus, dropped passes, or just giving up on plays, there’s absolutely nothing that inspires confidence that Pitts will break out of this funk and become an impact player in the Falcons offense.
Pitts has now played with multiple head coaches, different offensive minds, and a slew of quarterbacks, some more talented than others, and the results have not wavered. He’s not a very good player, and it doesn’t feel like his career in Atlanta is going to continue for too long.
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Photographer: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire
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