The Falcons made a major commitment to Kyle Pitts this summer, handing the tight end a three-year, $54 million extension. But in Atlanta’s 20-13 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the stat line told an ugly story: Pitts didn’t catch a pass, wasn’t targeted more than once and finished as a total non-factor.
That kind of night is hard to pin on the player alone. With Cooper Rush starting, Atlanta never really found a rhythm, and Pitts was left without the kind of usage you’d expect for someone who was just paid like one of the league’s top tight ends. The Falcons made Pitts the third-highest paid tight end in the NFL, but the offense didn’t treat him like a centerpiece.
The strange part is that the setup should have been there for him to matter more. Atlanta leaned on Bijan Robinson as the main checkdown option instead, even though Pitts was supposed to help fill that role. And after he was turning schemed touches into chunk gains in the preseason finale against the Dolphins, the lack of short-yardage work in the opener stood out even more.
There’s also a simple reality hanging over all of this: the Falcons need a real starter back under center. Both Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa were injured, and Rush wasn’t the quarterback to unlock Pitts or the rest of Atlanta’s skill talent. Pitts does his best work when the passing game stretches the field, and that’s much easier to imagine with one of the starters in place.
Penix said he’ll return "real soon" from his torn ACL, and a Week 2 return is possible. Tua should be back too, and once one of them is healthy, Rush’s starting job is gone. Until then, the Falcons are stuck waiting to see whether this extension can actually pay off.
For fantasy managers, it was the kind of opener that creates instant doubt. Pitts wasn’t the only tight end to post a goose egg, but Colston Loveland did it in a game where the Bears scored 59 points. Atlanta’s issue was different: the offense simply couldn’t move the ball, and Pitts got caught in the mess.
The bottom line is clear. If Atlanta wants to get the most out of Kyle Pitts, and if they want to see him put together another big season, they need Michael Penix Jr. or Tua Tagovailoa back in the lineup as soon as possible. Cooper Rush just isn’t the quarterback who’s going to make this offense sing.
In Other News...
Falcons Suddenly Have A Backfield Depth Problem They Created
The Falcons running back room took another hit this week, and it is one of their own doing. Dallas signed Tyler Goodson off Atlantas practice squad to its active 53-man roster after an injury to Malik Davis, giving Goodson a quick path back to the league after the Falcons waived him following preseason even though he had turned in strong performances.
For Atlanta, the bigger issue is the depth chart behind the depth chart. Cash Jones is now the only running back on the practice squad, which leaves the team thin if it wants more insurance at the position, and the Falcons may need to add another player just to keep the room stocked. Goodson, meanwhile, gets another chance to carve out a role in Dallas as he competes for snaps behind Javonte Williams and Emari Demercado. [Read more 🡒]
Bijan Robinson Replay Added One Scary Concern To A Huge Falcons Day
Bijan Robinson was at the center of the Falcons big day against the Steelers, doing damage on the ground and through the air while showing again why Atlanta leans on him so heavily. He carried 21 times for 83 yards, caught 8 of 10 targets for 90 more yards and scored a touchdown, giving the offense the kind of versatile threat it can build around when everything is clicking.
The concern came on a replay that showed just how close Robinson came to a serious injury after being rolled up on by Steelers players. It was the sort of moment that can change the feel of a game in an instant, and it added a jolt of worry to what otherwise looked like a statement performance for Atlanta. Raheem Morris went as far as calling Robinson the best player in the league, a nod to both his production and the importance of keeping him upright. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons QB Situation Suddenly Feels Bigger Than Just One Bad Week
The Falcons quarterback picture already looked fragile coming out of Week 1, and now it feels like the kind of issue that can spill into the entire early season if it is not managed carefully. Cooper Rush battled through back spasms and still had to take the field, but the offense never really found a rhythm, and the two interceptions only added to a rough opener built around injury uncertainty.
Around the division, the injury report only adds to the sense that nothing is going to be simple for Atlanta in the next stretch. Buccaneers cornerback Jacob Parrish avoided anything more serious after a back sprain, while the Panthers had their own concerns after a loss to the Bears, with Jalen Coker dealing with a rolled ankle and Bobby Brown with a bulging disc. For the Falcons, the larger question is not just who plays next week, but how long they can keep absorbing these hits before the quarterback situation starts shaping the whole season. [Read more 🡒]