Kyle Pitts Won't Play for Falcons vs. Buccaneers Because of Hamstring Injury

Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts won't play in Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers because of a hamstring injury.

ESPN's Michael Rothstein noted the Falcons ruled out their second-year tight end on Friday.

It seemed unlikely Pitts would be given the green light to play after missing all three days of practice. He played a season-low 62 percent of Atlanta's offensive snaps in a Week 4 win over the Cleveland Browns.

The 21-year-old was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2021 draft and hit the NFL as one of the most-hyped tight end prospects ever. Part of that hype was the 6'6", 245-pound Florida product possessing the ability and athleticism of a wide receiver in the prototypical tight end body. Few players combine his size, athletic ceiling and receiving talents

NFL legend Tony Gonzalez said before the 2021 season he believed "the sky's the limit" for Pitts at the NFL level if he works hard, stays healthy and is "self reflective," as he told CBS Sports' Jeff Kerr:

"He'll be an All-Pro tight end for a long time. He'll set records. He'll do incredible stuff. I watched a preseason game where he caught a flat route and took it up the sideline and I was like, 'Oh my gosh, this kid's special.' He can be right up there with George Kittle and Travis Kelce very soon. It might take him a year or two, but I wouldn't be surprised if he gets close to that by the end of the season."

Pitts answered the hype with a productive rookie season, catching 68 passes for 1,026 yards and one score. He hasn't been nearly as effective thus far in 2022. The Pennsylvania native alum has just 150 yards on 10 receptions with no touchdowns in four games.

There isn't a natural replacement on Atlanta's roster for Pitts' unique skill set. But while he's out of action, look for Parker Hesse to step into the starting lineup. The 27-year-old has 32 yards on three receptions this season.

The Falcons and Bucs are tied for first place in the NFC South with identical 2-2 records. Atlanta has lost four straight games against its division rival dating back to 2020.