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The Atlanta Falcons added some more competition at tight end on Monday, August 8 by signing MyCole Pruitt to the squad.
The move comes after undrafted defensive tackle Bryce Rogers rookie was waived with an injury designation.
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Pruitt Has a Double Connection to Atlanta
Pruitt, 30, 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 comes to Atlanta 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 also reunites with former Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota, tight ends Anthony Firkser and Parker Hesse, and wide receiver Cameron Batson.
The Falcons’ current tight end room, led by Kyle Pitts, is going to be a tough one for Pruitt to earn a spot in, however, he could find himself a comfortable spot on the practice squad if anything.
Falcons’ Rookie TE Adjusting Quickly to NFL
After a long drought of not drafting any Georgia Bulldogs, the Falcons finally did this past April when they selected two of them in the sixth round, including tight end John FitzPatrick.
The 2021 National Champ was picked to fill the void left by Lee Smith––a former blocking tight end for the Falcons last season.
He will be the new guy that will be expected to open up opportunities for tight end Kyle Pitts when the Falcons run a two-tight end formation.
“A force in the run game,” FitzPatrick said of himself following the draft, via AltantaFalcons.com. “If you’re looking to advance your run game, I’m the guy. And I’m going to do it as soon as I step into the building.”
Well, FitzPatrick was not wrong about himself according to tight ends coach Justin Peelle, who has been impressed with the rookie since day 1.
“He’s doing a good job. Extremely smart player. He’s picked up the offense really well. He’s very detailed in what he does and he’s trying to do what we’re coaching,” Peelle told Sports Illustrated. “He’s doing a really good job and he’s a lot more physical than I probably realized. He gets after it and he’s big; he’s bigger than he looked on film. I remember the first time he walked into my office (on local day) and he’s a lot bigger than I realized. But he’s doing a really good job and he’s fun to be around as well.”
FitzPatrick will have to continue to compete through camp for a backup job against Firkser, Hesse, Feleipe Franks and now, Pruitt.
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