FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Kyle Pitts heads into his fifth year with the Atlanta Falcons with some unfinished business.
After he was the highest tight end drafted in the 2021 NFL Draft with the No. 4 overall pick, expectations have been sky high. But since then, he has battled injuries and worked with several different offensive coordinators and head coaches.
Can he return to the type of player that earned him his “unicorn” nickname?
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Without even being asked a question, Michael Penix Jr. opened his news conference talking about Pitts and what they can accomplish together.
“You can see it, like the way he’s running the way, he’s run his routes, you know, in and out, his cuts, his breaks, you know just give him full effort out there. He just looked like he out there having fun,” Penix Jr. said.
During the offseason, Penix Jr. practiced with Pitts and other Falcons receivers to work on their timing and chemistry before camp even started.
It proved to be extremely valuable for all the guys, especially Pitts. He has played with six different quarterbacks during his four seasons with the Falcons.
“Mike, it’s his turn now. And it’s just time to ball and go follow behind him,” Pitts said.
Pitts enters the final year of his contract with the Falcons uncertain about his return at the end of the season. He needs to prove to them that he can the Pro Bowl tight end they saw a glimpse of in his rookie season.
“I’m here, I’m where my feet are. I’m excited for this year. So like I say, every year it’s a new year. I’m exciting to get into it with the guys,” Pitts said.
For some, managing the pressure and outside noise might be hard. But not for Pitts.
“I don’t really get on Twitter and listen to the bots who can’t come out here in 90-degree weather and come do what we do. So I don’t really read into it. Obviously I’m human, but I don ‘t read into that,” he said.
For Pitts, he said it’s a little easier to ignore it, now that he’s a dad to Kyle Pitts Jr.
“It’s easy because you’re chasing him. You’re not on your phone, so just being a dad, staying present, that’s pretty big,” he said.
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