Former Gators star Kyle Pitts named NFC Offensive Player of the Week

Kyle Pitts is reminding everyone what he can do on a big stage, as the former Florida All-American and current Atlanta Falcons tight end has been named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week. The award follows Pitts’ breakout performance in Atlanta’s Week 15 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Pitts turned in the best game of his NFL career, hauling in 11 catches on 12 targets for 166 yards and three touchdowns. All three numbers were season highs and also set new personal bests. It marked his first 100-yard receiving game since his rookie season in 2021 when he topped 1,000 yards as a first-year player.

“We’ve seen flashes of it during the year,” Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said Monday. “But last Thursday, he left no doubt. He played with confidence and it showed.”

Stepping up when opportunity came

Pitts’ expanded role came in part because wide receiver Drake London missed the game with a knee injury. London has now sat out four straight contests, although Morris said he remains hopeful the receiver could return soon as the Falcons prepare to face Arizona in Week 16.

Even if London continues to miss time, Pitts showed he can be the focal point of Atlanta’s offense. Morris said once Pitts made plays early, the team kept feeding him the ball.

“When you get going like that, you keep going back,” Morris said. “He got hot, and we stayed with him. It was fun to watch.”

Is Kyle Pitts poised for a big payday?

Pitts is currently playing under his fifth-year option as a former first-round draft pick. Through 14 games this season, he has totaled 73 receptions for 797 yards and four touchdowns. Over his last three games alone, Pitts has caught 24 passes for 383 yards and three scores.

For Florida Gators fans, the performance looked familiar.

Before becoming the No. 4 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Pitts was one of the most dominant tight ends in college football history at Florida. In 2020, he earned consensus All-American honors after catching 43 passes for 770 yards and 12 touchdowns in just eight games. He also won the John Mackey Award as the nation’s top tight end and was a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award.

Pitts finished his Gators career with 100 receptions, 1,492 yards and 18 touchdowns, leaving Gainesville as one of the most decorated offensive players to ever wear orange and blue.

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