Justin Peelle was hired as the Atlanta Falcons tight ends coach on Jan. 23, 2021.
In 2022, Atlanta offense led the NFL in fewest penalties, finished third in the NFL in rushing yards per game and 10th in third-down conversion rate. Atlanta also had the third-highest successful play rate on rushing attempts, based on EPA, at 45.1 percent. Under Peelle's tutelage, seventh-year tight end MyCole Pruitt set single-season career highs for receptions (16), receiving yards (150) and touchdown receptions (four) in 13 games (three starts) in 2022. Pruitt led the NFL in receiving touchdowns per target (min. 20 targets), scoring touchdowns on 19 percent of his targets. Additionally, Parker Hesse set single-season career highs for receptions and receiving yards in 2022.
In his first season coaching tight ends in Atlanta, rookie Kyle Pitts set the Falcons' single-season rookie receiving record, single-season tight end receiving record, earned his first-career Pro Bowl nod and became the second rookie tight end to eclipse 1,000 receiving yards in NFL history joining Pro Football Hall of Famer Mike Ditka (1,067 in 1961), finishing the season with a team-high 1,026 receiving yards.
Falcons tight ends, along with the running backs, combined for 2,251 receiving yards in 2021 - the most in the NFL and the most in a single season in franchise history.
Prior to joining Atlanta's staff, Peelle spent the previous six seasons as the tight ends coach for the Philadelphia Eagles after serving as the Eagles assistant tight ends coach from 2013-14.
Peelle was instrumental in the development of three-time Pro Bowl tight end Zach Ertz, who recorded 525 receptions in his first seven seasons, the most receptions through a tight end's first seven seasons in NFL history. Ertz, who caught the game-winning touchdown in Super Bowl LII, also owns the single-season record for receptions (116 in 2018) by a tight end in league history.
In 2019, Ertz and second-year tight end Dallas Goedert were vital to the success of the Eagles' offense. Ertz, who was selected to his third consecutive Pro Bowl, ranked third among NFL tight ends in receptions (88), fourth in receiving yards (916) and tied for fourth in receiving touchdowns (six). Goedert also finished in the top 10 among tight ends in receptions (58), receiving yards (607), receiving touchdowns (five) and yards after the catch (331 yards).
Under Peelle's tutelage in 2018, Ertz broke the single-season franchise receptions record with 116 and earned a second-consecutive Pro Bowl nod. Peelle also helped develop rookie tight end Dallas Goedert, who finished with four receiving touchdowns – the most among all rookie tight ends that season.
Since Goedert was drafted by the Eagles in 2018, Philadelphia's tight ends recorded the most receptions (417) and receiving yards (4,388) of any team in the NFL.
In 2017, the Eagles were just one of two teams in the NFL to have two tight ends with at least five receiving touchdowns (Ertz and Trey Burton). Ertz was named to his first-career Pro Bowl after finishing third in the NFL among tight ends with 824 receiving yards and a career-high eight touchdowns.
Originally selected by the San Diego Chargers in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL Draft, Peelle played in the NFL for 10 seasons with the Chargers (2002-05), Miami Dolphins (2006-07), Atlanta Falcons (2008-10) and San Francisco 49ers (2011) and recorded 123 receptions for 1,0003 yards and 12 touchdowns in 151 career games.
Peelle recorded 70 receptions for 944 yards and 14 touchdowns in 42 games at the University of Oregon. He earned first-ream All-Pac 10 honors as a senior, finishing as a semi-finalist for the John Mackey Award after posting 34 receptions for 491 yards and nine touchdowns in 2001.
A four-time All-Pac-10 Academic Team selection, Peelle graduated from Oregon with a degree in political science. He and his wife, Sara, have two sons, Morris and Thompson, and a daughter, Ada.
