Look, let’s be real. If you’ve spent any time on NFL Twitter or in a fantasy football group chat over the last few years, the name Kyle Pitts has probably triggered some sort of emotional response. For some, it’s pure, unadulterated frustration. For others, it’s that "I told you so" smugness that comes with a late-season breakout.
We’re sitting here in early 2026, and the conversation around Pitts has finally shifted from "Is he a bust?" to "How much is he going to get paid in free agency?" It’s been a wild ride. Honestly, the 2025 season felt like a fever dream for anyone who held onto his dynasty stock through the dark years of 2022 and 2023.
He didn't just play well. He looked like the unicorn we were promised back when he was drafted fourth overall.
The 2025 Resurgence Nobody Saw Coming
The stats from this past season are actually kind of staggering when you look at where he was a year ago. Kyle Pitts finished the 2025 regular season with 88 receptions for 928 yards and 5 touchdowns.
That yardage total? It put him second among all tight ends, trailing only Trey McBride.
But the numbers don’t tell the whole story. What really matters is the way he got them. In previous years, there was always this nagging feeling that Pitts wasn't quite in sync with his quarterbacks, or that the scheme was holding him back. In 2025, that narrative evaporated. He became the focal point of the Atlanta Falcons' passing attack, especially during that mid-December stretch where he was basically unguardable.
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Remember that Week 15 game against Tampa Bay? 166 yards and three touchdowns. In a single game.
That performance alone probably won thousands of people their fantasy playoffs. It was the moment everyone realized that the "Pitts is just a decoy" era was officially over. He was catching 75.5% of his targets—a career high—and his drop rate plummeted to under 2%. He wasn't just a physical freak anymore; he was a refined, reliable receiver.
Why the "Bust" Label Was Always Lazy
People love to call players busts because it's an easy headline. But with Pitts, it was always more complicated than that. You have to look at the context.
- Quarterback Play: He went from an aging Matt Ryan to the Marcus Mariota/Desmond Ridder carousel. No tight end, no matter how talented, is going to thrive when the ball is consistently thrown at their shoelaces.
- The Injury Factor: That MCL tear in 2022 wasn't just a minor setback. It clearly sapped his explosiveness for a long time. It wasn't until late 2024 that we started seeing that vertical twitch return.
- Usage Patterns: Raheem Morris and the current coaching staff finally figured out that you can't just treat him like a traditional Y-tight end. They moved him into the slot, they used him as a boundary X, and they forced defenses to pick their poison.
The Contract Year Phenomenon
It’s no coincidence that this breakout happened right as he’s heading toward free agency in March 2026. Money is a hell of a motivator.
Right now, the Falcons are facing a massive dilemma. Do they use the franchise tag, which is projected to be around $15.8 million for tight ends this year? Or do they let a 25-year-old superstar-in-the-making test the open market?
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If he hits the market, the bidding war will be insane. You’ve got teams like the Chiefs (who are eventually going to need a post-Kelce plan) or the Bengals who would move mountains to put a weapon like Pitts in their offense. He’s younger than some of the quarterbacks coming out in the upcoming draft. Think about that for a second. He's been in the league for five years and he's still basically a kid in football terms.
Comparing the Value: Pitts vs. The Field
When you compare him to someone like Hunter Henry—who had a great 2025 himself with 768 yards and 7 TDs—the difference is all about the ceiling.
Henry is the "safe" play. He’s going to get you 10 points. He’s a professional. But Kyle Pitts is the guy who can give you 35 points and single-handedly win a week. In 2025, Pitts proved he could finally pair that massive ceiling with a respectable floor. He had at least six catches in five of his last six games. That’s consistency we just hadn't seen from him before.
What Most People Get Wrong About His Game
The biggest misconception is that Pitts is "soft" or doesn't like to block. Is he George Kittle in the run game? No.
But in 2025, he showed a much higher level of engagement in the dirty work. You saw him staying in to chip pass rushers and actually moving bodies in the screen game. It’s that growth in the "boring" parts of the game that made the Falcons' offense so much more cohesive. When a defense doesn't know if you're going to crack-back block or run a 20-yard seam route, they're in trouble.
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Honestly, the most impressive thing about his recent run is the catch-point aggression. Early in his career, he'd sometimes let defenders get into his chest. Now? He's using that 83-inch wingspan to snatch the ball out of the air before the corner even has a chance. It’s the "alpha" mentality people said he lacked.
Moving Into 2026: The Next Steps
If you're looking at this from a team-building or fantasy perspective, the "buy low" window has slammed shut. It's gone.
If you want Pitts on your roster in 2026, you're paying a premium. But for the first time in his career, that premium feels justified. He's no longer a "projection" or a "project." He's a proven top-three producer at a position that is notoriously hard to fill.
Actionable Insights for the Offseason:
- Watch the Tag: If Atlanta doesn't tag him by the March 3 deadline, his market value will explode. Keep a close eye on any news regarding "negotiation stalemates."
- The Quarterback Connection: If Pitts moves to a team with an elite, high-volume passer, his 2025 numbers might actually be his floor. Imagine him in an offense that treats him like a WR1.
- Dynasty Strategy: If you’re a Pitts owner, don't sell for a single first-round pick. He's a 25-year-old elite asset at a scarce position. The price is two firsts or a high-end starter plus a pick.
- Injury History: While he stayed healthy in 2025, always keep an eye on that knee. He was on the injury report late in the season with some soreness, though he played through it.
The bottom line is that Kyle Pitts has finally arrived. It took longer than we wanted, and it was a lot messier than we expected, but the talent was simply too big to fail. Whether he stays in Atlanta or finds a new home, the 2026 season is shaping up to be the year he officially takes the crown as the best tight end in football. He’s already got the stats; now he just needs the contract to match.