CBS Sports Suggests High Hopes Remain for Falcons TE Kyle Pitts

Tight end Kyle Pitts appears to be on his last chance with the Atlanta Falcons. The 2025 NFL season is the fifth-year option of Pitts' rookie contract.

If he doesn't play well, the Falcons are likely to allow the tight end to leave in free agency.

CBS Sports' Joel Corry seemed to suggest it was more likely than not that Pitts and the Falcons won't still be together in 2026. But Corry did include Pitts on his list of top 15 bounce-back candidates for the 2025 season.

"After Pitts had 68 receptions and 1,026 yards receiving in a Pro Bowl season as a rookie, some thought he was going to revolutionize the tight end position," Corry wrote. "It isn't happening. Pitts hasn't come close to duplicating his 2021 production.

"There's a better chance of Pitts, who is scheduled to play the 2025 season under a $10.878 million fifth-year option, being traded than signing a contract extension."

Falcons' TE Kyle Pitts Aiming for Much More Productive 2025 NFL Season

Corry's list seemed to include bounce-back "candidates" in the true sense of the word. Put another way, the 15 candidates were players who have the talent to be much better than they were in 2024. However, Corry wasn't necessarily predicting a bounce-back to happen for all 15 players on the list.

Other than Pitts, Corry highlighted Joey Bosa, Cooper Kupp, Nick Chubb, Stefon Diggs, Marshon Lattimore, Mark Andrews, Haason Reddick, L'Jarius Sneed, Deebo Samuel, Dallas Goedert, Charvarius Ward, Bryce Huff, Jawaan Taylor, and Jaelen Phillips as bounce-back candidates.

Pitts is a bounce-back candidate despite a few disappointing years in a row. Since earning a Pro Bowl nomination as a rookie, the Falcons tight end hasn't eclipsed the 700-yard mark or 55 catches again. He's also barely scored in his career. Pitts has 10 touchdowns in 61 career games.

But the hope is with second-year quarterback Michael Penix Jr., Pitts will be able to carve out a complementary role to receiver Drake London and running back Bijan Robinson this fall.

Like those two offensive playmakers, Pitts was a top 10 pick in his draft class. Pitts actually went the earliest of those three prospects at No. 4 overall.

The Falcons tight end was the first non-quarterback off the board during his draft class.

Pitts had a few nice games with Kirk Cousins behind center last season. In three Penix starts, the tight end posted seven catches for 66 yards and a touchdown on 10 targets.

Penix and Pitts will probably have to possess better chemistry in 2025 for the tight end to experience a bounce-back year. But the talent is there. The motivation should be too.