Falcons GM Terry Fontenot Not Making Excuses For TE Kyle Pitts

Falcons TE Kyle Pitts eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards in his rookie year but hasn’t gone over 700 yards in the three seasons since.

After drafting him fourth overall in 2021 with the expectation they were getting an elite offensive weapon, Atlanta GM Terry Fontenot admitted they are expecting more out of Pitts. 

“When you take a player that high, obviously you expect a certain level,” Fontenot said, via Josh Kendall of The Athletic. “We understand Kyle had a really good rookie year and it hasn’t equaled that since then. There are no excuses we’re making about it.”

Pitts, 24, was a two-year starter at Florida and a first-team All-SEC select as a sophomore and junior. He won the John Mackey Award for the best tight end in the country before the Falcons drafted him with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

He signed a four-year, $32,910,494 contract with the Falcons that includes a $21,294,905 signing bonus. The Falcons picked up a fifth-year option worth $10,878,000 for 2025. 

In 2024, Pitts appeared in all 17 games for the Falcons and caught 47 passes for 602 yards receiving and four touchdowns.