The Atlanta Falcons have difficult decisions to make this offseason. While the focus has understandably been on their key pending free agents, they also need to be active and aggressive in the trade market. With limited cap space, GM Terry Fontenot needs to nail his offseason transactions, including the trades.
The potential Kirk Cousins trade has obviously been at the center of speculation, but there is another Falcons playmaker whose future in Atlanta is equally murky. Kyle Pitts, entering the final year of his rookie deal, is a premium trade candidate. If the Falcons move the former first-round pick this offseason, they will save his entire $10.8 million salary against the cap.
With trade rumors surrounding Pitts in full swing, head coach Raheem Morris called the star tight end out in his latest remarks to PFT Live at the Scouting Combine, per Josh Alper. He said that even though Pitts has the potential to be the best player on the team, he has been inconsistent and underwhelming.
"[Pitts] had some games where it looks like potentially the best player on the football team... He has some moments that leave you wanting more, leave you desiring more. With a guy like Michael Penix that believes in him, you want to see if you can get more. We’re gonna take it as far as we can take it from a coaching standpoint."Raheem Morris
This sentiment is widely shared among Falcons fans. When Pitts burst onto the scene in 2021, he was one of the best tight ends in the league as a rookie. He had 1,026 yards as a rookie and made the Pro Bowl. Since then, he has failed to come close to that level. He finished 2024 with 47 catches, 602 yards, and four touchdowns in 17 games.
Pitts finished last season as the 44th-best tight end in the league, per Pro Football Focus. In fact, his PFF grade has fallen each season. The knee injury he suffered in 2022 may be a big reason why that has been the case. He has not looked as fast and athletic as he did early in his career since that MCL injury.
Whether the former Florida star will be able to get back to his old self remains to be seen, but it looks like his time in Atlanta may be coming to an end soon.