Raheem Morris: We all know what Kyle Pitts could be, if we get him going
Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts hasn't quite lived up to the lofty expectations that made him the fourth overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, but Falcons coach Raheem Morris still believes Pitts has what it takes to be an NFL start.
“If we can get this guy going, we all know what he could be,” Morris said, via D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “That’s the job of the coach, to find out what a player can be and go get the best out of him. Hopefully, myself, along with my staff, and all of our coaches, we can go and get the best version of Kyle Pitts because that will be really good for all of us.”
The Falcons have backed up those words with the action of picking up Pitts' fifth-year option, guaranteeing him a $10.9 million base salary in 2025. A team doesn't do that with a player it doesn't expect to contribute.
“He’s very excited about being healthy, and so are we,” Morris said. “Getting a healthy Kyle Pitts gives you a really dynamic player that we believe in a lot. Hence, the picking up of his option [and] letting him be apart of our immediate and hopefully our long-term future.”
In terms of pure athletic talent, Pitts has traits that few tight ends in NFL history can match. It's the job of Morris and his staff to get Pitts to produce in line with his talent.
