‘Super rookie’ Kyle Pitts has ‘personal vendetta’ for comeback season with Falcons

ATLANTA — Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts has had four quarterbacks throwing to him over this three NFL seasons. Matt Ryan was under center in 2021, Pitts’ record-setting rookie year. Since then, it has been a revolving door of Marcus Mariota, Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke.

That isn’t where the inconsistency ends, either. Pitts, who has shown potential to be one of the best tight ends in the NFL, suffered a hamstring injury in 2022 and then that season was cut short later due to a torn MCL. The University of Florida product did not seem fully healthy in 2023, either, and came nowhere near the promise of why the Falcons made him the highest tight end ever picked in the NFL draft in 2021 (No. 4 overall).

Atlanta signed Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract this offseason with the hope that he will be the team’s quarterback for the foreseeable future. Cousins has been a consistent and productive quarterback in the NFL for a decade, which presents hope for the Falcons and Pitts.

But it also means yet another man throwing to him and yet another system to learn. Atlanta fired coach Arthur Smith after the season and hired Raheem Morris, who brought along Zac Robinson with him from the Los Angeles Rams to be the offensive coordinator.

“I would say I’m a super rookie,” Pitts said recently at Falcons OTAs. “You know, I’m not a ‘rookie rookie,’ but we’re all in this new offense, new regime, new schedule. So, we’re all in it fresh. But learning a new offense is always fun.”

Pitts said the most important things for jelling with a new quarterback are “relationship, communication and being his safety blanket.” Cousins has already mentioned that one of his favorite things so far in Atlanta has been throwing an out route to Pitts during OTAs. Cousins took Pitts and wide receivers Drake London and Darnell Mooney on a field trip to Tampa before OTAs began to watch film with former NFL coach Jon Gruden.

There, Pitts said he saw tape on several old-school tight ends and learned who the father of the “choice” concept was: legendary wide receiver Art Monk.

Pitts wanted to learn: “Just different tight ends and different philosophies and just different things to take into each day to help me be my best and do as much as I can to contribute to the offense.”

Last month, the Falcons picked up the fifth-year extension on Pitts’ rookie contract, giving him a vote of confidence going into his fourth year in the league. The hope is that Pitts can return to his rookie-season form.

In 2021, Pitts had 68 receptions for 1,026 yards and a touchdown. He and Mike Ditka are the only rookie tight ends to eclipse the 1,000-yard receiving mark in NFL history. Pitts was the first player at the position to make the Pro Bowl in his first year since Jeremy Shockey in 2002.

Robinson said he’s excited about “everything” Pitts brings to the table, including his potential as a blocker. Robinson said Pitts wants to be a complete tight end and has said so from the beginning. And there are also plans to use him out wide as a receiver.

“He’s learning basically two different positions, because there’s some tight end [work] and there’s some receiver, and so he’s got a lot on his plate and he’s handled it really well,” Robinson said. “And so, [I’m] just excited to see him continue to get more comfortable in the system. And the sky’s the limit for what kind of season he can have.”

Pitts said it feels “amazing” to be at “1000%” health after the past few years. Morris said Pitts has been “fun for me to coach personally.”

“I see a young guy that’s eager to learn, wants more, and his ‘why’ is really him — his personal vendetta to get back,” Morris said. “And I love that about him, because you gotta have a little edge, and he’s starting to show that a little bit more every day. And the better we can get him, to get him ready to go in training camp, I think the team will be better, I think our city will be better. I think everything will be better.”