FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — OTAs aren't a time for panic. This time of year, everyone is just getting loose, focusing on shaking off the offseason dust rather than lasering in on in-season goals. That said, Kyle Pitts' absence from the earliest days of the 2025 preseason due to an unspecified "injury" is notable ... if only because Pitts is nearing the make-or-break stage of his career.
"Extremely cautious with Kyle right now and what he's got going on," Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said Monday afternoon prior to OTAs. "Obviously, you don't talk about injuries this time of year, but definitely being cautious with him. So you won't see him."
Morris was quick to add that this isn't a case of solitary rehab; Pitts is very much a part of the team's daily activities.
"He's been here, he's done such a great job of all the stuff that we've asked of him," Morris said. "He's been in every single meeting, he's been in every single thing that we've done other than the field, and he's been absolutely outstanding to be around and all of that. But we're going to be extremely cautious with him." Asked whether the injury was to Pitts' foot, Morris simply smiled and said, "I'm not going to tell you that."
Drafted fourth overall in the 2021 draft, ahead of players such as Ja'Marr Chase, DeVonta Smith and Micah Parsons, Pitts hasn't ever quite lived up to the Falcons' hopes that he'd be a game-wrecking tight end. He has 2,651 career receiving yards and a total of 10 touchdowns over four seasons. His career high for touchdowns came last season, with four, but his career high in yardage remains his first year, with 1,026. He hasn't come within 350 yards of that total in any of the three years since.
As he enters the final year of his rookie contract, Pitts has been the subject of trade rumors this offseason, with insiders reporting that teams are making inquiries. The Falcons reportedly are in no rush to trade Pitts — Atlanta is entering the first full year of the Michael Penix Jr. era, and the more offensive weaponry, the better — but the right offer could be tough to refuse. Keeping Pitts as healthy as possible is obviously a priority for Atlanta whether or not he starts the season in a Falcons uniform.
