The Atlanta Falcons enter this season with plenty of excitement, especially considering the offensive weapons they’ve assembled. The big question, however, is whether they will hold on to star tight end Kyle Pitts—or trade him to a team that’s been actively calling. But according to Blogging Dirty’s Grayson Freestone, Pitts is simply too valuable to move.
“Kyle Pitts is someone the Falcons can’t replace for 2025. They have no receiving threat without him, and there aren’t any outside options to fill his spot. The Falcons do not want a hole at any position as they enter the season with an inexperienced quarterback in Michael Penix Jr,” Freestone wrote.
Pitts has already shown chemistry with new starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr., particularly in clutch moments. The buzz around Penix may be one reason the Falcons were given so many primetime games this year.
“It’s a bit surprising that the Falcons have five prime-time games this season,” CBS Sports’ Jordan Dajani wrote. “I believe that’s because of the excitement surrounding Michael Penix Jr.”
However, the quarterback room could get tense, with veteran Kirk Cousins now backing up the rookie.
“The Falcons are gambling that sophomore first-round pick Michael Penix Jr. can do more with a stacked group of offensive weapons than Kirk Cousins could in 2024, but with the tantalizing caveat that the expensive Cousins also remains on the roster,” Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon wrote. “Bring on the drama.”
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Still, ESPN’s Harry Douglas sees major potential in the Falcons’ offense, and he believes Penix could be something special. He even noted that Penix reminded the coaching staff of a former Super Bowl-winning quarterback.
“I think one of the things that really alerted this coaching staff to draft him is that he reminded them of Matthew Stafford. He has this entire offseason to be the number one guy. If they can get Kyle Pitts to buy in, this will be a scary offense,” Douglas said on Get Up.
The Falcons’ staff, coming from the Rams—where they found success with Stafford—likely saw a similar opportunity in Atlanta.