The Houston Texans faced an offensive identity issue in 2024: Nico Collins, Joe Mixon, and not much after that.
The tight end group was a letdown, following a unit that went from a total of 899 yards and seven touchdowns in 2023 to 672 yards and three touchdowns. This could have been due to teams having a season of tape on quarterback CJ Stroud and defenses taking away the short-yardage situations that tight ends can take advantage of.
How Can The Falcons Improve?
Heading into the 2025 season, the tight end unit still appears to be a significant question mark. Dalton Schultz is getting older, Cade Stover is going into his second season, and Brevin Jordan is coming off a torn ACL.
An option may exist via a trade: Atlanta Falcons’ Kyle Pitts. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that the Falcons may be open to trading the former No. 4 pick.
He could be an intriguing option for the Houston Texans since they lack a difference-maker at the tight end position, and a fresh start for Pitts could rejuvenate his career. Pitts came out of Florida as one of the highest tight end prospects in NFL history, becoming the highest-ever drafted tight end at number four overall in 2021.
What Pitts brings to the table
Pitts has had an odd career that has seen a decline in numbers every season — except touchdowns — with his Pro Bowl rookie season being his current peak at 1,026 yards and 68 catches on 110 targets. He has found the endzone more each season. Even with question marks at quarterback, injuries, and offensive fit, he still possesses a high upside that has yet to be unlocked.
He has played in 17 games over three of his four seasons, with 10 games in 2022 and missing the final seven due to a torn MCL. His 2024 season marks of 602 yards, 47 catches on 74 targets, and four touchdowns were better than what the Texans got out of their tight ends.
With a new offensive coordinator in Nick Caley, having an established quarterback in CJ Stroud would be something Pitts has not had and could serve to refresh his young career.
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