Falcons fleece Chiefs for extra picks in Kyle Pitts trade proposal
· Yahoo Sports
One big reason why the Atlanta Falcons haven't been back to the playoffs since 2017 is their relatively poor returns in the draft. While they hit on Bijan Robinson and Drake London, other first-round picks have either totally failed on the field like Takk McKinley, derailed their careers with off-field issues like James Pearce Jr. or come up short of expectations.
The last of those scenarios applies to tight end Kyle Pitts, who Atlanta took at No. 4 overall back in 2021. Since then Pitts has appeared in 78 games for the Falcons, putting up 284 catches, 3,579 yards and 15 touchdowns. While they're not terrible numbers, Pitts hasn't made the kind of consistent impact that you would expect from a top-five pick.
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Even though Pitts led the team with 88 receptions and 928 receiving yards last season, Atlanta may still be hesitant to hand the athletic tight end a long-term deal.
A new trade scenario from Fantasy Sports on SI qualifies as a coup for the Falcons. Thomas Carelli has Atlanta sending Pitts to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for a 2026 second and a 2027 fourth-round pick.
We know Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham prioritizes draft picks, and the team has just five total selections in 2026. Here's why the Falcons would love it, per Carelli.
"The deal may be interesting because Stefanski loves his tight ends. However, the Falcons are paying Pitts $15 million for one year of football. Sure, he can re-sign, but he can also head elsewhere post-2026 for a big, long-term deal. There is risk present here, and it can be offloaded for a long-term profit that the Falcons will need."
It's always possible that Pitts could blossom with another NFL team - especially working with a playcaller the caliber of Andy Reid. However, there's a distinct possibility that the Falcons have already seen what peak Pitts looks like - and they'd be much better off adding to their stock of draft picks than hoping Pitts makes a late-blooming breakthrough.
If the Falcons can get a single Day 2 pick offered for Pitts, they should seriously consider it.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Falcons send Kyle Pitts to Chiefs for picks in proposed trade