When the Atlanta Falcons took Kyle Pitts No. 4 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft as the highest tight end ever selected, the franchise envisioned performances such as Thursday's.
Pitts was an unstoppable force against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, terrorizing them from start to finish in Atlanta's 29-28 upset.
The fifth-year Florida product tallied career highs across the board with 11 receptions on 12 targets for 166 yards and three touchdowns -- the first TE with 150-plus yards and that many TDs in a game since Shannon Sharpe in 1996, per NFL Research.
"This is who Kyle Pitts is right here," Falcons teammate Bijan Robinson, who had a big day with 175 scrimmage yards, beamed when talking to Prime Video's Kaylee Hartung after the game.
Added quarterback Kirk Cousins: "Kyle continues to just be a great talent when it comes to his ability to separate and run, and obviously he has a big frame. (Offensive coordinator) Zac (Robinson) did a great job -- especially on a short week -- designing ways to get Kyle opportunities, and we were able to take advantage of them. I did feel that between Zac and Kyle, they did a lot of great things tonight to give me a chance to get it to him."
Already eliminated from playoff contention this year, there was little on the line for Atlanta (5-9), but Pitts likely made himself some money on the prime-time stage. He's a pending free agent on a Falcons teams that's got plenty of uncertainty to contend with following such a disappointing campaign.
After such a starry night as Thursday, Pitts is sure to have reminded many a team of the otherworldly potential that led to his historic draft selection, which was followed by a 1,000-yard rookie season -- just one of three all time for a rookie TE.
For instance, just how well would Pitts fit in the Kansas City Chiefs offense if future Hall of Famer Travis Kelce retires? Or even if he doesn't?
With three more games guaranteed with the Falcons, Pitts is still focused on the moments at hand, though.
"I just stay in the present. I worry about today," he said. "I don't think too far past anything besides where my feet are and living in the moment."
Playing Thursday in Florida, where he shined for the Gators, Pitts was Cousins' No. 1 receiver with Drake London inactive.
"Man, I love the great state of Florida," Pitts said.
Pitts turned in a stunning first half of football, hauling in an 8-yard touchdown in the first quarter to get Atlanta on the board and following with a 17-yarder for six with just 38 seconds to go in the first half.
After the game's first 30 minutes, Pitts had obliterated an overmatched Bucs defense to the tune of six receptions for 111 yards and the two scores.
"It was the plan," Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said of targeting Pitts. "Kyle's our guy. You're down a couple of your guys, like Drake and some of those types of guys, and Kyle's really filled in that role and become the lead-dog guy. He's done an awesome job. And tonight, we talked about some of the plays he didn't make even when he had some of these good games over the last couple of weeks, but he made those plays tonight, showed up in a major way, and that was big-time play by him. It's stuff that we expect."
While Pitts' "TNF" brilliance stands out at another level, he's been stacking productive game as of late. With his Week 15 outing, he became the first Falcons tight end ever with three consecutive 80-plus-yard games.
He had six catches for 90 yards the week prior against a tenacious Seattle Seahawks defense and seven grabs for another 82 in Week 13 against the New York Jets.
Highlights have ultimately been few and far between for the Falcons, who entered 2025 with aspirations of winning the NFC South and going to the playoffs for the first time since 2017. It didn't happen.
On Thursday, however, the Falcons pulled off a shocking rally.
Since 2000, Atlanta was 0-104-1 when trailing by 14-plus points in the fourth quarter before their comeback against the Buccaneers, according .
Down, 28-14, in the fourth, that comeback doesn't happen without Pitts, who had four catches for 49 yards, two third-down conversions and a TD in the final stanza.
Pitts' time in Atlanta so far has been underwhelming overall, but whether he's back with the Falcons next season or elsewhere in the league, the 25-year-old put together a sensational audition tape for his second NFL contract on Thursday.
"We've been having our ups and downs through the year," Pitts said. "Obviously, it's not fun being eliminated early, but we're resilient. The team that we have, we're just tight together, tight-knit. We fight for each other and knew that at this point we're playing for each other, as we were before, but it's just more enhanced. It's pretty fun to get that win."
