Last season in 17 games Kyle Pitts had 47 catches for 602 yards, and four touchdowns. In four games this season Pitts already has 20 catches for 205 yards and a touchdown. The former fourth overall pick is on a trajectory to have a really strong season in what is a contract year for him, and earlier today The Morning Shift talked about wanting to see the Falcons bring Kyle Pitts back, but not at the expense of losing other important players.
“The problem for me is Kaden Elliss and Jessie Bates need to get paid, and then Drake London needs to get paid, and then Bijan [Robinson] is gonna have to get paid.” Beau Morgan said
Mike Johnson also adds that Matthew Bergeron is not far from needing a contract extension as well.
Beau finishes his thought by saying “ I just named guys that I think are more important to the success of this team than Kyle Pitts. Because of a 1,000 yard rookie season and whatever he finishes with this year, if it’s successful, I’m going to pay him for two good years? Don’t hit me with injury, don’t hit me with who the quarterback was. Injuries happen, it's part of it, you know that more than anybody, and Drake London didn’t have a problem going and producing without good quarterback play”.
At the end of the day it’ll all depend on how much money Kyle is looking for, and depending on how he finishes the season maybe the consensus feeling about Pitts changes, but Kyle was picked fourth overall in the 2021 NFL Draft because he was supposed to be a ‘unicorn’, and even though that’s a hard moniker to live up to he hasn’t lived up to it.
The Falcons have to pay more of their young nucleus soon, and can’t afford to pay Pitts ‘unicorn’ money when he's been just a really good tight end at best sometimes. The Falcons can most likely get similar production from another tight end who probably won’t cost nearly as much.