The NFL trade deadline is less than five days away and while Deshaun Watson will likely be making the headlines, we could see some other surprises creep up.
According to NFL insider Albert Beer, the Atlanta Falcons have been taking calls from teams inquiring about tight end Hayden Hurst:
“The Falcons haven’t put TE Hayden Hurst on the block, but calls have come in on him, based largely on the fact that he’ll be a free agent after the year. Atlanta probably won’t deal him, barring an unexpectedly rich offer,” Breer wrote in his latest article.
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Falcons Passed on Hurst’s Fifth-Year Option
The Falcons traded with the Baltimore Ravens for Hurst ahead of the 2020 season. In his first season with Atlanta, Hurst posted a career-high 56 catches for 571 yards and six touchdowns and 88 targets.
This past offseason, however, Terry Fontenot and Co. decided not to exercise Hurst’s fifth-year option, which means he will become a free agent at the end of the year.
Hurst, 27, is set to get $1.349 million fully guaranteed this season and cost the Falcons a cap hit of $1,984,914. If the Falcons picked up his fifth-year option, then they would have paid Hurst $5.428 million in 2022.
The Falcons have Pitts now, so keeping Hurst around might not be what they want to do.
The Falcons Have Kyle Pitts
When head coach Arthur Smith drafted Kyle Pitts at No. 4 overall, he envisioned running a two tight end formation on offense. However, that hasn’t been the case as Pitts has stolen the spotlight.
That doesn’t mean that Hurst isn’t any good, it just means that he won’t get the action he was hoping for this season…nor for future seasons to come. This brings us to his contract. Hurst’s is a free agent at the end of the season and if all goes well, he’ll be looking for more money that the Falcons likely won’t have on hand with their ongoing messy salary cap situation.
So, why not let him go now for something in return?
Hurst hasn’t been a major key factor on the Falcons offense this season and that’s ldue to the heavy use of, Pitts along with running back Mike Davis and dual-threat Cordarelle Patterson.
Through six games this season, Hursts has 16 receptions for 138 total yards and one touchdown. He’s still one of the team’s top four receivers but with several weapons for Matt Ryan to use, he’s never going to get the targets he longs for––especially with Pitts now in the picture.
Going to a team that is in need of a tight end, or an explosive offense where you’ll see more action without a rookie unicorn stealing your spotlight seems like a dream for a tight end who has plenty of juice left in him.
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Falcons Taking Calls Ahead of Trade Deadline: Report