If you’ve played fantasy football in the last 4 years, you’ve probably heard someone scream out the name “Kyle Pitts” in anger … or at least type it in all caps in one of your league’s message threads followed by some unflattering words.
Unfortunately for Pitts, that’s the sort of reaction he’s gotten from both fantasy owners and actual football fans since he was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft by the Atlanta Falcons — the highest drafted tight end of all time.
For Pitts, it’s somewhat of an unfair categorization to say he’s a bust at this point because the 6-foot-6, 250-pounder is an athletic marvel who has been a victim of terrible quarterback play more than anything else.
Despite that, Pitts earned a Pro Bowl spot as a rookie when he had 68 receptions for 1,026 yards — a year in which he only had one touchdown. Since then, it’s been a struggle. He missed 7 games in 2022 and finished with career lows of 28 receptions for 256 yards.
The last 2 years he’s been above average but not great, which is more than can be said for the team he plays for. In 2023, Pitts had 53 receptions for 667 yards and 3 touchdowns. He followed that with 47 receptions for 602 yards and 4 touchdowns in 2024.
If there’s a tight end primed for a breakout season in 2025 that’s going under the radar, it’s probably Pitts.
It just might need to happen with another team.
Buccaneers Could Take Big Swing With Pitts Trade
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox thinks the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could make a big move by trading with their NFC South Division rivals for Pitts in exchange for a conditional 2026 fourth round pick. Those conditions are likely any sort of success for Pitts might could equal the pick bumping up to a second or third round pick.
Either way, Pitts deserves a fresh start. The Falcons haven’t had a winning record since 2017 and Pitts has had 4 different starting quarterbacks in each of his first 4 seasons — second year quarterback Michael Penix Jr. will be his fifth in 2025.
Pitts, who ran the 40-yard dash in 4.40 seconds at the NFL scouting combine, is also only 24 years old. In 2025, he’ll make $10.8 million after the Falcons picked up the fifth year option on his 4-year, $32.9 million rookie contract.
“The 24-year-old is in a contract year and has not cemented himself as a long-term piece of Atlanta’s puzzle,” Knox wrote on September 3. “Of course, acquiring Pitts would likely require extending him, unless a team is merely seeking a short-term rental. The need for a new contract could keep his trade value in check, as it did for the Cowboys in the Parsons deal. Atlanta can probably expect to get a high Day-3 selection that can become a Day-2 pick if Pitts returns to a Pro Bowl level of production.”
One Problem: The Buccaneers Already Have TE1
The Buccaneers have one big hurdle to bringing in Pitts in that they already have an established TE1 — albeit an average one — with Cade Otton.
Otton had career highs of 59 receptions, 600 yards and 4 touchdowns in 2024 but missed the final 3 games of the season with a leg injury. Any trade for Pitts would likely represent cutting ties with Otton, who is in the final season of his 4-year, $4.49 million rookie contract.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Buccaneers Urged To Trade With Rival for 6-foot-6, 250-Pound ‘Athletic Marvel’ appeared first on Heavy Sports.