Head coach Arthur Smith ruled Pitts (knee) out for the season Wednesday, Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site reports.
Smith said that the right knee surgery Pitts underwent earlier Wednesday to repair MCL damage is "nothing that concerns us going into 2023." The No. 4 overall pick in the 2021 draft suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain Week 11 versus the Bears and concludes his sophomore season with 28 catches for 356 and two scores on 59 targets through 10 games. After Pitts posted an outstanding 68-1026-1 receiving line as a rookie, his diminished production in Atlanta's run-heavy offense with Marcus Mariota under center was disappointing to say the least, especially for fantasy purposes. Next season, Pitts' fantasy outlook will heavily depend upon the state of the Falcons' passing offense. In the meantime, Parker Hesse and MyCole Pruitt will hold down the fort at tight end.
