Falcons' Kyle Pitts Reportedly Open to Trade, Not Being 'Aggressively' Shopped By Team

Amid his absence from OTAs this week, Kyle Pitts' future with the Atlanta Falcons has suddenly become a storyline for the team going into the 2025 season.

Appearing on the Saturday morning SportsCenter, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported Pitts would be open to a trade even though he's not necessarily looking to be moved and the Falcons aren't "aggressively" shopping him right now:

"So I checked in with a source who said that, look, if Atlanta gets the right kind of deal for Kyle Pitts, it very well could come together. I don't think it's a situation where they're aggressively shopping him, but it appears talking to some other teams, they think Atlanta is at least open to the possibility, and Pitts might be as well. I'm told, he loves Atlanta. This is not a situation where he's requesting a trade, but if he has a chance to go to maybe a better offense where he's more featured, he's sort of the third or fourth wheel right now in Atlanta, could be something that he's open to."

Per NFL insider James Palmer on Wednesday, the veteran tight end is dealing with a foot issue and his OTA absence wasn't related to his contract.

On Friday, Fox Sports' Jordan Schultz noted the Falcons' preference is to keep Pitts and it would require "at least" a day two pick for them to even consider a move.

The Falcons are in a tricky spot with Pitts because of his contract. There's no indication at this point he's considering holding out to get a new deal, but NFL insider John Middlekauf did note Pitts is "not that comfortable" playing on the final year of his rookie contract.

Pitts, who is owed $10.9 million in 2025, has been a frustrating player for his four seasons in the NFL. He showed tremendous promise as a rookie with 1,026 yards, but his yardage total has ranged from 356 to 667 in the past three years.

Atlanta's investments in skill position players since Pitts was drafted No. 4 overall in 2021 have pushed him down the depth chart. Drake London and Bijan Robinson are clearly the top two options. Darnell Mooney and Ray-Ray McCloud both had more targets, receptions and yards than Pitts last season.

If the Falcons were to make Pitts available, it wouldn't seem hard to convince a team to give up a third-round pick for him. He's only 24 and has shown tremendous natural ability to be a go-to option if the system is designed to focus on him.

Of course, Michael Penix Jr. entering his first full season as a starting quarterback might give the Falcons more incentive to keep Pitts. Having more quality pass-catchers around a young quarterback can make the adjustment period easier.