Falcons rookie receiver Kyle Pitts hauled in nine catches for 119 yards and a score during the team’s 27-20 win over New York in London on Oct. 10. | atlantafalcons.com
Falcons rookie receiver Kyle Pitts hauled in nine catches for 119 yards and a score during the team’s 27-20 win over New York in London on Oct. 10. | atlantafalcons.com
Rookie Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts broke legendary Tony Gonzalez's team record for receiving yards in that position and is second on the all-time NFL list for yards by a rookie tight end.
"Only a handful of wide receivers in the league can make those kinds of plays, and we're fortunate to have a guy at the tight end spot who can go and do that," QB Matt Ryan said on the team's website.
Pitts now 949 yards on the season, passing Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez for the most yards in franchise history.
"I would've never thought of 1,000 yards. That's a lot of yards," Pitts said. "Always striving to be the best, but 1,000 I was always like that might be a little tough."
Pitts is now 60-yards away from breaking a 60-year-old NFL record. He has not missed a start this season and has delivered well while playing out of different formations and sometimes even as a wide receiver.
"Well, it's not easy to do that and a lot of guys throughout professional sports with that kind of hype coming in they don't handle it well," Falcons coach Arthur Smith said, the Atlanta Constitution Journal reported. "Kyle certainly has and that's not lost on us here," said Falcons coach Arthur Smith.
At 4.4, Pitts is lauded for a wide receiver-like speed. "Those are huge," Ryan said of Pitts' shorter receptions. "...I see that continuing to expand through his career. I'm certainly proud of him. That rookie year is not an easy year, and he's continued to push and excel."
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