Pitts secured one of two targets for five yards in the Falcons' 35-14 win over the Packers on Thursday.
Pitts' slow start persisted Thursday despite Michael Penix making his season debut and taking the reins of the offense from the ineffective duo of Cooper Rush and Jack Strand. Pitts has managed just two receptions for 20 yards on six targets through three games, but given how sharp Penix looked right out of the gate Thursday, the duo is bound to start clicking in coming games as they've done previously.
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Falcons' Kyle Pitts: TEs to start
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The season starts now for Pitts with Michael Penix Jr. starting at quarterback in Week 3 at Green Bay. Pitts was miserable in two games to start the season with Cooper Rush and Jack Strand at quarterback, and Pitts combined for one catch for 15 yards on four targets over that span. Falcons offensive coordinator Tommy Rees said Tuesday that they have to get Pitts "going" in Week 3. "We know what he does well," Rees said. "We know where we can really make sure that he's impacting games. But I gotta do a better job with that and make sure that his talents come into the forefront. We take a lot of ownership on that as a staff." I'm willing to start Pitts again in all leagues with Penix under center for Atlanta.
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Falcons' Kyle Pitts: Records first catch of season
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Pitts brought in one of three targets for 15 yards in the Falcons' 34-3 loss to the Panthers on Sunday.
Pitts was able to make his mark in the catch column for the first time in the new season, but that one reception turned out to be his only contribution on the afternoon. However, given Cooper Rush and Jack Strand combined to throw for only 145 yards and three interceptions, Pitts' sparse production is largely explained away. The talented tight end figures to see his outlook brighten whenever Michael Penix (knee) or Tua Tagovailoa (oblique) are able to suit up, with a Week 3 Thursday night road matchup against the Packers their next opportunity to do so.
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Falcons' Kyle Pitts: Bust Alert (Start/Sit)
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Like Drake London, it will be tough to trust Pitts if Cooper Rush is starting for the Falcons in Week 2 against Carolina. We saw the downside for Pitts in Week 1 at Pittsburgh when he had no catches on one target with Rush under center. We're hopeful either Michael Penix Jr. (knee) or Tua Tagovailoa (oblique) will start against the Panthers, and then Pitts will be removed from this post. With Rush, Pitts is a low-end starter at best in the majority of leagues.
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Falcons' Kyle Pitts: TEs to start
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I'm still going to start Pitts even with Cooper Rush starting for the injured Tua Tagovailoa (oblique). Expect a lot of short passes, and Pitts could lead Atlanta in targets in Week 1 against the Steelers. Pittsburgh was also No. 4 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing tight ends last year, and Pitts could be a top-five Fantasy tight end in Week 1.
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Falcons' Kyle Pitts: Productive preseason finale
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Pitts caught all three of his targets for 59 yards in Friday's 17-12 preseason win over the Dolphins.
Pitts has shown excellent chemistry with QB Tua Tagovailoa during the preseason, accounting for 81 of Tagovailoa's 117 passing yards across parts of two preseason games. It remains to be seen whether Tagovailoa or Michael Penix (knee) will get the starting nod under center for Week 1 against the Steelers. Either way, Pitts is poised to maintain a prominent role on the heels of his 928-yard 2025 regular season.
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Falcons' Kyle Pitts: Accounts for all three of Tua's completions
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Pitts caught three of four targets for 22 yards in Friday's 27-7 preseason loss to the Broncos.
Pitts accounted for all three of Tua Tagovailoa's completions across their two drives in the game. Tagovailoa has the inside track on Atlanta's Week 1 starting job under center, so it's encouraging that Pitts is showing some early chemistry with the offseason QB addition. The Falcons' second preseason game will be Aug. 22 at Indianapolis.
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Falcons' Kyle Pitts: Agrees to three-year extension
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Pitts and the Falcons agreed to terms Tuesday on a three-year, $54 million contract extension, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Atlanta extended Pitts a franchise tender earlier this offseason, but both sides have agreed to terms on a multi-year deal that includes $36 million fully guaranteed. Per Schefter, Pitts' annual average salary makes him the third-highest paid tight end in the league behind George Kittle (Achilles) and Trey McBride. The Falcons also signed Drake London (undisclosed) to a massive four-year contract in early June, while Bijan Robinson remains a candidate for a new deal after the team exercised the fifth-year option on his rookie deal. Pitts produced an 88-928-5 line (118 targets) in 17 regular-season games last year and will look to build chemistry with quarterbacks Michael Penix (ACL) and Tua Tagovailoa this offseason.
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Falcons' Kyle Pitts: Franchise tag official
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The Falcons officially placed their franchise tag on Pitts on Tuesday, Tori McElhaney of the team's official site reports.
The expected move prevents Pitts from reaching the open market in free agency, while he and the Falcons have until July 15 to negotiate a potential multi-year extension. Per McElhaney, the projected franchise tag value for tight ends in 2026 will be approximately $16 million. The 2021 first-rounder is coming off a 2025 regular season in which he recorded 88 catches for 928 yards and five touchdowns (on 118 targets) in 17 games.
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Falcons' Kyle Pitts: Questionable but expected to play
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Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said Friday that he's optimistic that Pitts (knee) will be able to suit up for Sunday's season finale against New Orleans, but that the tight end is officially listed as questionable, Marc Raimondi of ESPN.com reports.
Morris offered identical evaluations for top wideouts Drake London (knee) and Darnell Mooney (knee). Pitts fell down to earth during Atlanta's win over the Rams in Week 17, a contest in which he secured just two of three targets for 16 yards while Kirk Cousins completed just 13 passes. Across his prior four appearances, though, Pitts had averaged 98.8 receiving yards per game and totaled four receiving scores. If he's indeed cleared to suit up versus the Saints, the pending unrestricted free agent will have no shortage of motivation to log another performance reminiscent of those four outings.
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Falcons' Kyle Pitts: Another limited listing
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Pitts (knee) was a limited practice participant Thursday, Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site reports.
This marks Pitts' fourth week in a row being listed on Atlanta injury reports with a knee issue, but he's been able to suit up for each of the last three games, compiling a 20-239-4 line on 24 targets during that stretch. Friday's practice report will reveal whether or not Pitts enters the weekend with a designation for Sunday's contest against the Saints.
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Falcons' Kyle Pitts: Estimated as limited
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Pitts (knee) is listed as a limited participant on Wednesday's estimated injury report, Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site reports.
Pitts has had his practice reps capped leading up to each of Atlanta's last three games due to a lingering knee injury, but he's managed to gain clearance for each of those contests without being assigned an official injury designation. The starting tight end fell back down to earth with just two catches for 16 yards (on three targets) during Monday's win over the Rams, in which Kirk Cousins completed just 13 passes for 126 yards. Pitts will work to gain clearance and bounce back during Sunday's regular-season finale against the Saints.
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Falcons' Kyle Pitts: Underwhelms in Week 17 win
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Pitts secured two of three targets for 16 yards in the Falcons' 27-24 win over the Rams on Monday night.
Pitts came into the night in the midst of a productive stretch where he'd recorded at least six receptions and 57 yards in four straight contests, but he endured a notable downturn on what was a quiet night for the air attack overall. Taken in the context of Kirk Cousins throwing for only 126 yards on 13 completions, Pitts' modest numbers are a bit more understandable, and he'll look to improve on what is already a career-best 82-870-5 line in the Week 18 home matchup against the Saints on Sunday.
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Falcons' Kyle Pitts: Ready to face Rams
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Pitts (knee) does not carry an injury designation for Monday's game against Los Angeles.
Pitts was limited in practice both Friday and Saturday, but he'll continue playing through the knee injury that also bothered him during Atlanta's previous two practice weeks. The starting tight end will look to stay hot despite a difficult matchup against the Rams' stingy defense. Through five appearances since Kirk Cousins took over as Atlanta's starting quarterback, Pitts has racked up an outstanding 33-420-4 receiving line on 44 targets.
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Falcons' Kyle Pitts: Signature performance in upset win
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Pitts brought in 11 of 12 targets for 166 yards and three touchdowns in the Falcons' 29-28 win over the Buccaneers on Thursday.
The oft-maligned tight end delivered exactly the type of performance that many assumed would be his standard following his selection with the fourth overall pick back in the 2021 Draft. Pitts set new single-game career highs with all three components of his receiving line, and he recorded his touchdown grabs from eight, 17 and seven yards out. He spectacularly snapped a nine-game TD drought in the process, and after topping out at 70 receiving yards over his first 11 games, the fifth-year pro has now recorded at least 82 such yards in three consecutive contests. Pitts will try to put together a fitting encore against the Cardinals when the Falcons pay a visit to Arizona for a Week 16 matchup on Sunday, Dec. 21.
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Falcons' Kyle Pitts: Suiting up Thursday
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Pitts (knee) is listed as active Thursday at Tampa Bay, Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site reports.
Pitts closed Week 15 prep as questionable to play after being listed as limited on all three practice reports due to a knee injury. It won't stop him from suiting up Thursday, though, and with WR Drake London (knee) missing a fourth game in a row, Pitts is in line to serve as one of the top pass catchers for QB Kirk Cousins. On the first three occasions, Pitts recorded a cumulative 15-197-0 line on 23 targets.
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Falcons' Kyle Pitts: TEs to start
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Drake London (knee) is out again for the Falcons in Week 15 at Tampa Bay, and that should allow Pitts to be the top pass catcher for Atlanta once again. He's played four games without London this season, and Pitts has scored at least 14.9 PPR points in three of them, including two in a row against the Jets and Seahawks. In those two games, Pitts has 13 catches for 172 yards on 18 targets. He also did well against the Buccaneers in Week 1 with seven catches for 59 yards on eight targets, and Pitts has scored at least 12.9 PPR points in four games in a row against Tampa Bay going back to 2023, with three touchdowns over that span.
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Falcons' Kyle Pitts: Questionable for Thursday
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Pitts (knee) is listed as questionable for Thursday's game in Tampa Bay, Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site reports.
Pitts has been listed as limited on all three Week 15 practice reports due to a knee injury, leaving his status up in the air for Thursday. During Drake London's (knee) current three-game absence that is extending to four contests this week, Pitts has been more active in the passing game, with a 15-197-0 line on 23 targets during that span. Assuming Pitts is able to suit up, he'll remain a key target for QB Kirk Cousins.
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Falcons' Kyle Pitts: Limited practice reps
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Pitts (knee) was a limited participant at Tuesday's walkthrough practice.
Pitts has yet to be listed as a full participant on the Falcons' Week 15 practice reports, but his ability to get in a limited session Tuesday inspires confidence that he'll be able to play Thursday against the Buccaneers. With top wideout Drake London (knee) missing the last three games, Pitts has taken on a more prominent role in the passing attack, producing a 15-197-0 line on 23 targets. London has yet to resume practicing since suffering a PCL injury in Week 11 and is trending toward another absence Thursday, so Pitts once again shapes up as a solid fantasy option at tight end in Week 15.
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Falcons' Kyle Pitts: Estimated as limited Monday
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Pitts (knee) was listed as a limited participant on Monday's practice estimate, Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site reports.
Pitts recorded a 92 percent snap share in Sunday's 37-9 loss to the Seahawks, a game in which the tight end caught six of his 10 targets for a team-high 90 yards. Chances are, Pitts' listed limitations Monday were maintenance-related, with added context on that front set to arrive via Tuesday's injury report.
