Will the Atlanta Falcons trade Kyle Pitts? That’s not typically a move teams would make when they’re trying to maximize the potential of their young first-round quarterback who’s entering his second season.
Yet, Pitts, who was the fourth overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, hasn’t quite lived up to his full potential. At least, not since his rookie season, which produced his career-high in receiving yards with 1,026.
Now, with Pitts entering the final year of his rookie contract, Falcons trade rumors are circulating. Will Atlanta actually move him?
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer recently weighed in on the chance of Pitts being traded, and basically, he doesn’t see it happening before the season starts, if at all.
“I’m just not sure I see a match right now. This seems to me like the sort of story that only gains steam in June. Yes, Pitts is talented. But his 2022 knee injury left a mark. He regularly had to get the knee drained in ’23. It stunted his development as a player who was still learning the position. And with a new staff in place last year, he had to earn his spot all over again, and he wound up splitting snaps with Charlie Woerner throughout the season.
SI’s Albert Breer on Kyle Pitts
So he’s no longer valued like he was by anyone as he had been before the 2021 draft. And now he’s playing on a $10.88 million fifth-year option. This means another team would have to have a pretty high level of confidence it could get more out of him than the Falcons (he had 47 catches for 602 yards and four touchdowns last year).
More likely is that another team would view acquiring Pitts as taking a flier on a player who hasn’t lived up to expectations. It’s unlikely, as I see it, that such a team would be willing to give up the kind of pick that would entice Atlanta to deal him and pay him almost $11 million.”
Once Pitts does eventually hit free agency, he could be in line to sign a rich contract. Yet, to do so, he’ll have to put forth a strong performance this season first.
Still, it’s not like Pitts hasn’t been a good tight end. He had the one year with 356 yards when he was limited to just 10 games, but he’s had back-to-back 600-yard seasons since. That’s respectable production for a starting tight end, and there are likely several teams who feel like they can get even more out of the former first-round pick.
Related: 5 best Kyle Pitts trade landing spots after Atlanta Falcons rumors emerge
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