Kyle Pitts silent, Austin Hooper scores in win

Pitts was one of the beneficiaries of a pass-heavy second half for a Falcons offense that was forced to abandon the run game facing a multi-touchdown deficit. Pitts took advantage of single coverage a couple times, including on his first touchdown grab. He now has three touchdowns over his past two games as Michael Penix brings some stability to the Atlanta offense. Pitts, who ran a route on 26 of the team’s 38 drop backs against Chicago, will be a viable play in Week 7 against the Niners.

Pitts remained largely confined to short area work with his game-long reception going for only 13 yards. A second quarter touchdown from five yards out gave the veteran tight end his first trip to paint through five games and his five receptions doubled that of his previous four appearances. Pitts remains a difficult weekly start for as long as Drake London and Bijan Robinson remain healthy. A Week 6 meeting with the Bears in Atlanta should see him remain in the TE2 ranks.

Pitts played just one snap on the team’s first two possessions before seeing modest usage the rest of the game. His counting stats were padded in the second half with a 28-yard, catch-and-run reception on a play action pass out of the flat. Pitts isn’t getting the snaps or route participation to return consistent fantasy production and is best left on fantasy benches for as long as Drake London remains healthy. That won’t change ahead of a Week 5 meeting with the Ravens.

Cooper Rush was a disaster once again, tanking the fantasy prospects of every Falcon. Pitts narrowly avoided his second straight bagel with a lone catch late in the second quarter. He failed to catch his only target last week. There’s not much to say about Pitts and the entire offense when Rush simply shuts down all production from the jump. Pitts will reclaim a spot in the TE1 ranks if Michael Penix is back for Week 3. He is not on the fantasy radar if Rush is under center once again.

Fowler said Penix, still recovering from his 2025 ACL injury, “wants to be fully confident before stepping onto the field. And my understanding is the Falcons are leaving the comfort level part of his recovery up to him.” “Penix is coming off his third ACL reconstruction, which is a lot of ACL reconstructions,” ESPN’s Dan Graziano added. “I believe it takes a lot of mental work to convince yourself it’s OK to go back out there and play. If Penix needs more time, I’m sure the Falcons will give it to him, though I believe we will see him on the field at some point this season.” That would leave Tua Tagovailoa as the team’s presumed starter if Tua can play through the oblique strain that sidelined him in Week 1 against the Steelers. If Tua can’t go, the Falcons could be forced to start Cooper Rush for another game or two. Rush, who had the lowest drop back EPA of any QB in Week 1, makes Drake London and Kyle Pitts iffy starts in 12-team fantasy formats.

Pitts owes most of this to a poor performance by Cooper Rush under center. Pitts played on 39 of the team’s 61 snaps and ran a route on 22 of their 29 dropbacks. He simply wasn’t a factor with Rush struggling to move the ball down the field. We should note that the Falcons were very run-heavy with Rush at quarterback, and Charlie Woerner played 38 snaps and was on the field for 22 run-blocking snaps to just 16 for Pitts. If the Falcons are going to continue to be so focused on rushing the ball, that could cut into some of Pitts’ snaps and usage.

Pitts ripped off multiple double-digit gains, moved well and looked tough to bring down. He delivered a 37-yard catch on the Falcons’ first drive, securing the pass on a quick out route from bunch formation before taking off down the right sideline. He later had a 16-yard gain on a sort crossing route, where he again chewed up yards after the catch. Pitts is a mid-tier TE1 entering the year.

Fowler settles on Pitts being a “certified first or second option in the passing game.” Pitts sets up as a potential high-end TE1 on an offense that loves to use the tight end, and the fact that he finished second in fantasy points among TEs last year is proof of concept that he was already playing better in 2025. With his contract taken care of, perhaps this will be the year Pitts ascends to the top of the tier, the writer said forgetting any of the last five years had happened.

The Falcons had previously waffled a bit on potentially making Pitts available after “President Of Football” Matt Ryan took over, but must have liked what they saw in the early offseason. Pitts currently looks to be slated for the No. 2 receiver role in Atlanta behind Drake London and should be a fantasy-viable TE1 this year. (Words that have never come back to bite anyone.) Pitts settles for slightly below George Kittle’s $19.1 million per year and Trey McBride’s $19 million per year and will remain in Atlanta for the near future.

Just yesterday, ESPN’s Dan Graziano opined that the Falcons might want to see how Pitts fits in their new offense before committing to a long-term contract. Today, his colleague Marc Raimondi published comments from Pitts, who described the tag as being “kind of like my fifth-year option, but it’s a sixth-year option.” Pitts believes that the new staff’s tag use shows that they see something in him and “trust” him. Tagged players sometimes hold out or argue for a long-term deal. Not Pitts. He is ready to play. Stefanski, a former tight ends coach, has helped deliver TE1 results over the years. Per PFF, flats and hitches were Pitts’ most run routes last year. Based on Stefanski’s 2025 play designs with the Browns, Pitts could run them even more this year, while also running more drags, curls and potentially, overs. Pitts is a TE1 this season, but his range of potential outcomes is still being decided. Hopefully, we learn more during training camp next month.