The Atlanta Falcons are set to be without starting tight end Kyle Pitts, for what could be the remainder of the season.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Pitts has suffered a torn MCL that will “likely” require surgery.
From NFL Now: #Falcons TE Kyle Pitts is out indefinitely with a torn MCL that likely requires surgery.
The Falcons’ Pro Bowl tight end took a hard hit to his right knee from Bears’ safety Eddie Jackson following an 18-yard catch on Sunday, November 20. He stayed down for a second as he struggled to get up and then limped/jogged off of the field.
How much time Pitts misses remains to be determined, however, head coach Arthur Smith believes it will be “short-term” for now––along with defensive lineman Ta’Quon Graham.
“Still haven’t confirmed with Kyle or TQ,” Smith said on Monday, Nov. 21, via D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Obviously, there is a lot of stuff floating around. Until you get through all of the doctors and all of the opinions, we won’t have a final word, but both of those guys will be out…. in the short-term.”
The Falcons’ 2021 fourth-overall pick, has 28 receptions for 356 yards with a pair of touchdowns in 2022 so far.
With Pitts out, the Falcons will turn to backup TEs Parker Hesse and MyCole Pruitt.
Hesse Joined the NFL as a Defensive End
Before the NFL, Hesse spent his college career playing on the defensive side of the ball.
In fact, Falcons’ star guard Chris Lindstrom remembered lining up across from him at the 2017 Pinstripe Bowl when Boston College took on Iowa.
Now, the two are playing on the same side of the ball together.
“It’s awesome,” Lindstrom said during an interview with the AJC back in August. “He’s a great guy. Just the changes that he’s made are really admirable.”
Hesse originally joined the league as a defensive end following the 2019 draft after signing with the Tennesse Titans––who ended up converting him to a blocking tight end.
He spent two seasons on the Titans’ practice squad before joining the Atlanta Falcons in 2021. He saw action in eight games and made a single start last fall, catching five of six targets for 43 yards.
2022 was his first year ever making a team’s initial 53-man roster and it was great timing. considering he finally feels comfortable at the tight end position.
“Fortunately, this is my fourth year playing tight end, so it’s almost as much as I was playing defense in college,” Hesse said. “So, it’s starting to come naturally to me, and that’s just credit to the coaches, pretty much, that I’ve had the last four years, that have spent time developing me, teaching me.”
Through 11 games this season, Hesse has five catches for 50 yards on six targets.
Pruitt Came to Atlanta in August
As for Pruitt, he initially entered the league as a fifth-round (143th overall) selection by the Minnesota Vikings in the 2015 NFL Draft.
He made some promising plays during his first campaign, but not enough for Minnesota to keep him on the active roster for the length of his rookie contract. Following his release, Pruitt was picked up by the Chicago Bears off of the Vikings’ practice squad.
After a short stint in Chicago, he made stops at the Buffalo Bills, Houston Texans, San Francisco 49ers and Tennessee Titans.
His first stint with the Titans in 2018 after tight end Delanie Walker suffered a season-ending ankle injury. Pruitt logged his first NFL touchdown that year and stayed in Tennessee for two more seasons.
The veteran spent last offseason with the 49ers before rejoining the Titans for a second stint. In Week 17 of the 2021 season, Pruitt suffered a right ankle fracture, which required season-ending surgery. He finished the year logging a career-high 14 catches for 145 yards and three touchdowns through 16 games and nine starts.
He came to Atlanta this past August as no stranger to head coach Arthur Smith after playing under his offense in Tennessee. He also has ties to Falcons’ senior personnel executive Ryan Pace, who was the Bears’ GM during Pruitt’s brief stop in Chicago in 2016.
Pruitt stepped in for Pitts on Sunday, logging his only target for 17 yards for a season-high during Sunday’s 27-24 victory over the Bears.
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Falcons TE Kyle Pitts ‘Out Indefinitely’: Report