The Falcons didn’t need Kyle Pitts to light up the box score in Friday night’s preseason opener to make their point. They needed to see their new quarterback lean on him early, often and without hesitation - and that’s exactly what happened.
In Atlanta’s 27-7 loss to the Denver Broncos, Tua Tagovailoa threw only five passes. Four of them were aimed at Pitts. Tagovailoa completed three for 22 yards, and Pitts was responsible for every completion from Atlanta’s starting quarterback in the brief debut.
That’s a tiny slice of football, and nobody should pretend otherwise. Five preseason throws is not the kind of sample that tells you where a season is headed.
But the usage still mattered. Tagovailoa clearly found Pitts quickly, and that kind of immediate trust can be a big deal for a quarterback settling into a new offense.
For Atlanta, it was the sort of early sign that makes the extension look a little easier to understand. The Falcons have made it clear they believe Pitts’ production from last year wasn’t a one-off. They’re betting it was the start of something more.
And there’s reason for that belief. Pitts’ 2025 season already showed what he can bring when the offense makes him a priority. He led the team in receiving yards, finished with 25.1% of the Falcons’ receiving yards, and became only the second tight end in franchise history to post multiple seasons with at least 900 receiving yards.
Now the new coaching staff gets a chance to push that even further. The Falcons’ own offseason evaluation said Pitts’ buy in to Stefanski’s program had been strong, and the team also sees his versatility as a way to give offensive coordinator Tommy Rees plenty of options.
None of that means Friday night proved the extension will turn into a great deal. There are still 16 regular season games left, and Pitts still has to back up his 2025 production before anyone can make that call.
But if Tagovailoa keeps looking for No. 8 the way he did against Denver, Atlanta may already have the kind of tight end connection it was hoping for when it committed to Pitts long term.
In Other News...
Falcons Draft Fallout Suddenly Looks Even Worse Than Expected
Atlantas 2025 draft class has already taken enough hits to make the early returns look shaky, and the fallout has only gotten messier. Jalon Walker and Billy Bowman Jr. have dealt with injuries, Jack Nelson is gone, and James Pearce Jr. is now on suspension, leaving the Falcons with a rookie group that has struggled to stay intact long enough to justify the investment.
The bigger problem is that the Pearce trade carried a future cost, too. Atlanta sent its 2026 first-round pick to the Rams to land him, and with Pearce and Walker both expected to be out for much of 2026, the organization is left weighing not just what went wrong with the class it drafted, but what it gave up to chase it. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons QB Battle Just Took A Turn Few Fans Expected
The Falcons preseason opener offered a small but noticeable shift in the quarterback conversation behind the top of the depth chart. After Tua Tagovailoa played, Cooper Rush and Jack Strand both got their turn, with Rush enduring an uneven night and Strand making a quieter but more encouraging impression. Rush finished 7 of 19 through the air with two interceptions, while Strand completed 6 of 12 passes and showed enough poise to keep himself in the mix.
Strand also added a rushing score, which only helps when coaches are sorting out the third-string job. For a roster spot that can hinge on a handful of preseason snaps, those moments matter, and this one seemed to tilt the evaluation in his favor. The competition is still open, but Strands performance gave Atlanta something to think about after a game that did not go smoothly for Rush. [Read more 🡒]
Sean Payton Just Handed Falcons Fans A New Reason To Be Furious
A preseason game is usually the sort of August backdrop that fades quickly, but Sean Payton managed to make sure this one did not. During the Broncos-Falcons matchup, the Denver head coach took a shot at Atlantas crowd during a live interview, saying many people were dressed up as empty seats, a remark that instantly traveled far beyond the stadium and gave Falcons fans another reason to stew.
It landed even harder because the Broncos left with a convincing 27-7 win, highlighted by rookie Jahdae Barrons 97-yard interception return. For Atlanta, the on-field result was already disappointing enough, but Paytons public dig added an extra layer to a night that the Falcons would have preferred to forget. [Read more 🡒]