Getty Kyle Pitts during a record-breaking day vs. the Detroit Lions.
Kyle Pitts is finding records easy to break as a rookie, but surpassing one particular mark left the Atlanta Falcons star in awe. It happened during Week 16’s 20-16 win over the Detroit Lions when Pitts dominated and, in the process, went above one of the true legends in franchise history.
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Pitts Inspired by Falcons’ Greatest Tight End
Pitts made six catches for 102 yards against the Lions. The tally gave him the most prolific season by a tight end in Falcons’ history, per Evan Birchfield of The Falcoholic:
🚨New Franchise Record🚨
Kyle Pitts has surpassed Tony Gonzalez for the most receiving yards by a #Falcons tight end in a single-season.
Record stands at 949 yards (for now)
Tony Gonzalez previously set the mark with 930 yards in 2012, according to Tori McElhaney of the team’s official website. Gonzalez amassed the number courtesy of 93 catches, while Pitts has exceeded the total with just 64 receptions, although he has at least two games left to play this season.
ESPN Stats & Info showed how what Pitts has managed so far has put him among some of the most productive tight ends from football’s past and present:
Kyle Pitts is the 4th tight end in @NFL history with at least 60 receptions in their rookie season.
He joins Keith Jackson (81 in 1988), Jeremy Shockey (74 in 2002) and Evan Engram (64 in 2017) @AtlantaFalcons.
It’s already been a phenomenal debut year for Pitts, but he was quick to cite Gonzalez as one of his main inspirations. The rookie praised the Hall of Famer, per Falcons.com reporter Kris Rhim: “I personally think he’s the best ever. That’s someone that looking at all of the tight ends that came before me; he was one of the kind of people I watched in the older days.”
That’s high praise, but merited for a player who did more than most to redefine expectations for tight ends. Gonzalez brought new levels of production and athleticism to the position, particularly during his best years with the Kansas City Chiefs, when he posted four 1,000-yd seasons.
He was still effective after joining the Falcons in 2009, aged 33. The veteran caught 35 touchdowns in five seasons and registered 850-plus receiving yards in four of those years.
Pitts has a four-digit receiving total in his sights, as well as another notable record.
All-Time Record Within Pitts’ Grasp
The best marks set by Gonzalez aren’t the only records within Pitts’ grasp. He’s already moved into second on the list of yards compiled by rookie tight ends.
It’s a group still headed by Chicago Bears’ legend Mike Ditka. Yet, Pitts is rapidly closing the gap, according to longtime former Dallas Cowboys scout and current NFL.com analyst Gil Brandt:
Kyle Pitts has 102 receiving yards today. He needs only 128 more to hold the record for most receiving yards by a rookie tight end:
Mike Ditka 1,076
Kyle Pitts 949
Jeremy Shockey 894
Keith Jackson 869
Charle Young 854
The record has stood since 1961, and some believe it will still stand the test of time, even if Pitts establishes a larger number. Their argument rests on the number of games played in Ditka’s day, with D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution among those who question what the new record would be worth:
It must be noted that Mike Ditka was a rookie in 1962 when they played 14 games. Are you really “breaking” his record in a 17-game season.
It’s a sound argument, but neither Pitts nor the Falcons are likely to care. His rookie numbers won’t prove which players from which era deserve more respect. Yet, Pitts’ record-setting efforts will endorse the Falcons’ decision to use the fourth-overall pick to draft a tight end in 2021.
There were other needs on the roster, like adding a stud pass-rusher or replacing wide receiver Julio Jones. Those things should still be top of general manager Terry Fontenot’s to-do list this offseason, but he knows he’s already found a playmaking talent capable of dominating for the next decade.
Pitts Taking TE Position to Greater Heights
Like Ditka and Gonzalez before him, Pitts is doing his part to add a new dimension to an old position. Specifically, he’s emerging as one of the few legitimate deep threats among tight ends.
Defenses are paying the price for ignoring Pitts’ ability to stretch the field vertically. The Lions made the mistake and paid for it thanks to this spectacular Matt Ryan-to-Pitts connection in the third quarter at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium:
Kyle Pitts has hands of a WR1 🔥 @kylepitts__
📺: #DETvsATL on FOX
📱: NFL app
Ryan has developed a niche for going long to Pitts. It’s something the 36-year-old quarterback described to Rhim: “He probably gets annoyed with me ’cause he’s got to do all the running. I’m just throwing it up there. I do hammer home with those guys; the way you get better is you work at it. You do it over and over and over, and then you just fall into rhythm during the game.”
Plays like this explain why Pitts has been able to exceed Gonzalez in one area, despite fewer catches. His next task will be to put Ditka into the shade by thriving against the Buffalo Bills and New Orleans Saints.
They both own good defenses against the pass, but the 7-8 Falcons still have a slim, mathematical chance of reaching the playoffs. Getting Pitts the ball often will be key to keeping hope alive, so expect more records to follow.