FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts Sr. has been named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week, the NFL announced Wednesday.
The honor is Pitts' first of the 2025 season and comes after the Falcons’ Week 15 victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Pitts caught 11 of his 12 targets for 166 yards and three touchdowns. Those were not only season-high marks for Pitts but career-best milestones, too.
Pitts last had a 100-yard game as a rookie in 2021—he had three that season —and finished his first year with 1,026 receiving yards.
"We've seen glimpses of it throughout the season at times," Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said Monday. "There's always sometimes you want more. Last Thursday, he left us not wanting more. He left us really inspired and feeling really good about how he performed."
The added opportunities at Tampa Bay were primarily due to Falcons wide receiver Drake London being out with a knee injury. He has now missed the last four consecutive games and maintains a day-to-day status as the Falcons prepare for their Week 16 game against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. Morris, however, is hopeful for his return after an extended break for Atlanta following the Thursday night game.
Even if London continues to miss time, though, Pitts proved last Thursday he can step up when needed. Morris noted Pitts got additional targets in London's absence while operating in an expanded role. When Pitts made the most of the escalated opportunities early, he dictated his own usage.
"When you make those plays early, you show that kind of confidence – you keep going back to him," Morris said. "You get hot, so to speak. It was like when you go out and sometimes you light it up on the basketball court and say, 'No, you keep shooting.' That's kind of what he did the other night. You know, he just kept shooting. He got it going, man. It was a lot of fun to see. It was a lot of fun for Kyle."
Pitts is in a contract year, currently seeing through his fifth-year option as a former first-round draft pick. Through 14 games, he has recorded 73 receptions for 797 yards and four touchdowns. In his last three games, Pitts has 24 catches for 383 yards and three touchdowns.
The Falcons have three games left on their schedule before they must begin thinking about Pitts’ future in 2026.
Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts Sr. caught 11 of his 12 targets for 166 yards and three touchdowns, earning him NFC Offensive Player of the Week. He became the eighth tight end in NFL history to have at least three receiving touchdowns and 150 yards receiving in a single game. The most recent to do so was Shannon Sharpe for the Denver Broncos in 1996.
