Pitts (knee) isn't practicing this week, Josh Kendall of The Athletic reports.
Pitts spent the winter rehabbing from November surgery on a Grade 2 MCL sprain, and given the typical return timeline it's possible he's already back to full strength and is just absent from voluntary OTAs or being brought along cautiously. Earlier reports had him on schedule in the recovery process, and Falcons coach Arthur Smith said this week that he expects all the players absent from practice this week to be ready for training camp. The knee is probably less of a concern than how Pitts fits in Smith's run-heavy offense, after he dropped from 60.4 yards per game and 9.4 per target as a rookie to 35.6 YPG and 6.0 YPT last season. The Falcons will continue running often after using the eighth overall pick on RB Bijan Robinson, but it's at least a safe assumption that whatever passing volume they have will largely go to Pitts and WR Drake London. It's harder to say if the trio of top-10 picks -- one from each of the past three drafts -- can help second-year QB Desmond Ridder become an efficient passer.
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Falcons' Kyle Pitts: Rehab progressing on schedule
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Falcons tight end coach Justin Peele said Monday that Pitts (knee) is "on schedule" in his recovery, Josh Kendall of The Athletic reports.
Pitts is recovering from right knee surgery undergone late November to address a Grade 2 MCL sprain. Suffering the injury Week 11 cut Pitts' sophomore campaign short, as he logged just 10 appearances, but there haven't been any hints of concern out of Atlanta about him potentially missing time during offseason workouts. In any case, Pitts should be back to full health well before the start of the 2023 season, barring any setbacks. The athletic tight end posted 1,026 receiving yards as a rookie, and depending on the Falcons' quarterback situation next season, Pitts once again may be a popular option in the early rounds of fantasy drafts.
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Falcons' Kyle Pitts: Officially done for the season
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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.
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Falcons' Kyle Pitts: Undergoes surgery Wednesday
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Pitts announced Wednesday via his personal Instagram account that he underwent surgery to repair a Grade 2 MCL sprain in his right knee.
While Atlanta hasn't officially announced a recovery timeline for Pitts or revealed whether he'll be able to return this season, the second-year tight end will be sidelined through at least Week 16 after being placed on injured reserve Nov. 21. While Pitts was sidelined in the Falcons' Week 12 loss to the Commanders, Parker Hesse led the Atlanta tight end group with 33 snaps (60 percent), but it was MyCole Pruitt (two catches for nine yards and a touchdown) who was the more productive fantasy option despite playing three fewer snaps.
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Falcons' Kyle Pitts: Set for surgery
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Falcons head coach Arthur Smith said Wednesday that Pitts will require surgery to address his right knee injury, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com reports.
Smith said that a recovery timetable for Pitts, who was placed on injured reserve Monday, won't be known until after surgery is completed. The Falcons haven't offered details on the extent of Pitts' injury, but multiple reports have suggested that the 2021 first-round pick is dealing with a Grade 2 MCL sprain. Pitts will need to miss a minimum of four games due to his placement on IR, but pending an update from Atlanta after his procedure, it remains to be seen whether the tight end will be able to return this season.
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Falcons' Kyle Pitts: Grade 2 MCL sprain likely
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Pitts likely has a Grade 2 MCL sprain in his right knee, D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Pitts picked up the injury during this past Sunday's win against the Bears. Considering the Falcons placed him on IR one day later, a Grade 2 diagnosis makes sense because it's typically accompanied by a two-to-four week recovery timeline. Pitts will miss at least the next four games as a result of that transaction, although surgery could potentially cost him the rest of the season. While the second-year pro is sidelined, Parker Hesse, MyCole Pruitt and Anthony Firkser are candidates to fill in at tight end.
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Falcons' Kyle Pitts: Placed on IR
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Atlanta placed Pitts (knee) on injured reserve Monday.
Pitts suffered an MCL tear in his right knee during Sunday's win over the Bears and will be sidelined for at least the next four games, though it's possible the tight end remains out for the remainder of the campaign. There hasn't been a decision on whether or not he'll undergo surgery, but Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com reports that a procedure is possible. While Pitts may have been disappointing in fantasy due to a high ADP, coach Arthur Smith has been pleased with Pitts' overall progression this season. "People just look at the stats, but his impact on winning has been enormous for us," Smith said. In Pitts' absence, Parker Hesse, MyCole Pruitt, Anthony Firkser and Feleipe Franks (calf) are candidates for increased snaps at tight end, but the likes of Drake London, Olamide Zaccheaus and KhaDarel Hodge also will have to help mitigate the loss of Atlanta's third-leading receiver.
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Falcons' Kyle Pitts: May need surgery
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Pitts is feared to have suffered an MCL tear in his right knee during Sunday's 27-24 win over the Bears and could require surgery, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Rapoport relayed that the MRI that Pitts underwent Monday revealed more substantial damage than initially anticipated. Pitts reportedly is seeking a second opinion, but he looks like he could be in danger of missing the rest of the season. Falcons head coach Arthur Smith may provide an official update on Pitts' health during his media availability later Monday.
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Falcons' Kyle Pitts: Believed to have MCL sprain
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Pitts (knee) is believed to have suffered an MCL sprain during Sunday's 27-24 win over the Bears, and he'll have an MRI on Monday to confirm, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Pitts was able to leave the field under his own power Sunday, and he caught three of five targets for 43 yards before exiting. If the 2021 first-round pick's injury diagnosis is confirmed, it could lead to a significant absence for the tight end.
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Falcons' Kyle Pitts: No update from coach
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Coach Arthur Smith didn't have an update on the status of Pitts (knee) following Sunday's win over the Bears, D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site report.
Prior to his exit from the contest, Pitts caught three of his five targets for 43 yards. In any case, the 2021 first-rounder's status will need to be monitored closely as next Sunday's game against the Commanders approaches, with Parker Hesse and MyCole Pruitt next up for TE snaps should Pitts be forced to miss any time.
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Falcons' Kyle Pitts: Sit Him (Lineup Decisions)
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I'm banking on the Falcons coming off the bus running against Chicago's defense, taking valuable targets away from Pitts. If the Falcons continue to insist on throwing to him deep, his volatility will remain problematic. If you can, start Greg Dulcich and Dawson Knox ahead of Pitts.
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Falcons' Kyle Pitts: Inefficient again in loss
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Pitts secured two of eight targets for 28 yards in the Falcons' 25-15 loss to the Panthers on Thursday night.
Pitts led the team in targets for the second time in four days, but he once again was limited to just two receptions. Pitts now has an encouraging 21 targets over the last three games overall, yet his 9-135-1 line in that span is underwhelming to a degree. Pitts' upside is likely to remain capped while Marcus Mariota is under center and restricted to a game-manager role, but the 2021 first-round pick will aim for a boost in production and better efficiency against the vulnerable Bears defense in a Week 11 home matchup a week from Sunday.
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Falcons' Kyle Pitts: Sit Him (Lineup Decisions)
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Pitts' utilization near the end-zone is really what keeps his Fantasy stock afloat. No one should expect the Falcons to take many deep shots with him after he couldn't connect on five such tries last week. No one should expect the Falcons to throw 28 times as they did in their OT win over the Panthers in Week 8, either. Pitts remains a starter in Fantasy but is more of a touchdown-or-bust TE, just as he's pretty much been all year. I'd rather start Pat Freiermuth, Greg Dulcich and Gerald Everett.
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Falcons' Kyle Pitts: Pair of grabs in loss
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Pitts secured two of seven targets for 27 yards in the Falcons' 20-17 loss to the Chargers on Sunday.
Pitts paced the Falcons in receiving yards and tied with Drake London for the lead in targets, but the sparseness of the former tally is a testament to how underwhelming a day it was for Atlanta's air attack overall. The athletic tight end is a victim of head coach Arthur Smith's decision to keep Marcus Mariota in a very strict game-manager role, so expectations should be tempered despite what would seem to be a mostly favorable matchup against the Panthers in a Week 10 Thursday night clash.
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Falcons' Kyle Pitts: Leads team in receiving
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Pitts caught five of nine targets for 80 yards and a touchdown during Sunday's 37-34 overtime win over the Panthers.
Pitts led the Falcons in receptions, targets and receiving yards while submitting his best performance of the season. The second-year tight end's second score of the campaign came on a well-schemed play that left Pitts wide open for a two-yard score. However, he also made plenty of big plays through the air as well, catching passes of 26 and 33 yards. Given his high ADP, Pitts has certainly been a disappointment, but he's also capable of breaking out of his slump in a big way. Pitts will look to build off his season-high performance against the Chargers in Week 9.
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Falcons' Kyle Pitts: Sit Him (Lineup Decisions)
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Pitts has basically devolved into a touchdown-or-bust tight end. Sure, there's a chance he breaks out for 50 yards, but we could have said that for any of his first seven games and would have been right once. If his name was Marcedes Lewis or Geoff Swaim, you wouldn't even think twice about starting him. Dream if you want to, but a guy who's barely scored in his NFL career and has one game this season with more than 20 yards (!!) probably doesn't warrant much trust. I'd rather take my chances on Greg Dulcich, Cade Otton or Harrison Bryant.
Pitts finally notched his first touchdown of the season last week. While he's moving better than before, you'll need him to score again in order to be a helpful Fantasy option. Pickings are slim as far as lineup replacements but I'd chance it with David Njoku, T.J. Hockenson, Robert Tonyan and even Evan Engram over Pitts in full PPR. In non-PPR I'd replace Engram on that list with Taysom Hill.
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Falcons' Kyle Pitts: Bust Alert (Start/Sit)
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Pitts practiced on a limited basis Wednesday after sitting out Week 5 at Tampa Bay with an injured hamstring, so he seems on track to return. But even if he's active you might want to consider benching him if possible. From a production standpoint, he has one game this season with more than three PPR points, and he's still searching for his first touchdown. Now, he might be playing at less than 100 percent in Week 6 against San Francisco, and the 49ers are No. 3 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing tight ends. No tight end has scored against San Francisco, and Pitts could once again be shutout of the end zone.
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Falcons' Kyle Pitts: Back in action Sunday
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Pitts (hamstring) is active for Sunday's game versus the 49ers, Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site reports.
Pitts is back from a one-game absence due to a hamstring injury, and he'll be a welcome sight for quarterback Marcus Mariota against San Francisco's third-ranked pass defense (177.8 yards per game). Through four appearances in his second campaign, Pitts has one outing with 87 yards and three others with 25 or fewer yards. He also has no touchdowns on 22 targets.
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Falcons' Kyle Pitts: Expected to play
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Pitts (hamstring), who is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the 49ers, is expected to play, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
After sitting out last week's loss to the Buccaneers, Pitts returned to practice as a limited participant Wednesday through Friday to take the designation into the weekend. The tight end previously expressed optimism that he'll play, and while the expectation is that he will, confirmation one way or the other won't arrive until the Falcons release their inactive list 90 minutes prior to Sunday's 1 p.m. ET kickoff.
