Kyle Pitts has been the most ridiculed Atlanta Falcons player over the last three years. The uber-talented tight end has failed to live up to expectations, leaving fans hopeless for his future.
But the team has remained steadfast with the fourth-overall pick. That is, until the latest news was released to the public detailing why he hasn't been participating in OTAs.
Atlanta Falcons have to be fed up with Kyle Pitts' unreliability
Things have gone downhill since Pitts' Pro Bowl rookie season; he sustained a significant knee injury in year two that sidelined him for months, followed by a slow ascent to 100% even when he did return to the field.
Even since then, he has yet to look like he did when Matt Ryan was throwing him the ball.
There have been questions about his ability to separate, catch the ball, and give full effort on every play. It has been a lot of two steps forward, three steps back.
The good news is he is entering the final year of his rookie deal, which may give him extra motivation to produce.
That is if he can get on the field...
To start OTAs, Pitts was missing from the practice field. It was then revealed that he has a foot injury that they are being cautious with, but there seems to be something lying beneath the surface.
Does this mean something, or does it mean nothing?
There is no way to know, but later on, it felt like Raheem Morris was trying to sell us on his tight end by saying the following:
"Extremely cautious with Kyle right now and what he's got going on. Obviously, don't talk about injuries this time of year, but definitely being cautious with him, so you won't see him. He's been here, he's done such a great job. He's been in every single thing that we've done other than the field, and he's been absolutely outstanding to be around."
Raheem Morris
Why we can't talk about injuries this time of year, I don't know. It shouldn't be a secret.
It feels like he is trying to sell everyone on Pitts. Is he doing this to make sure other teams know he is a hard worker, or is it normal coach speak?
Only time will tell, but for now, we can only move forward, hoping he can finally be at least some of the player we all know he can be.
