This week's big question: What role does Kyle Pitts play?

Stop me if you've heard this before, but Kyle Pitts isn't producing the way many expected and fingers are pointing in all directions. We've seen footage suggesting the former number four overall pick is lazy, poorly managed and has lost the juice he once possessed.

One of the worst things that could have happened to Pitts was his 1,026-yard rookie season for the Atlanta Falcons. It was a fantastic achievement, but it also raised expectations that have become huge burdens on the player's shoulders. This season, two more tight ends surpassed the milestone: Mark Andrews (1,361) and Travis Kelce (1,125). The tight end position seemed more versatile than ever and many believed they could become the focal point of entire offenses based on the success of a handful of teams, but that's not really the case.

Since 2021, only Travis Kelce (2022) and Geroge Kittle (2023) have reached 1,000 yards in the regular season, with total yards dropping from 1,338 to 1,020. We also saw offenses across the league transition back to running the ball as boxes became easier and defenses were set up to stop the pass. With this transition, the need for a traditional Y tight end became a focus for teams and led us to where we are today with Pitts and new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson.

Robinson comes from the coveted Sean McVay system, which is heavy on 11 players and has no tight ends in the passing game. In the McVay offense, tight ends typically rank third or fourth on the target list. In 2022, Tyler Higbee led the team in targets, but the team has struggled with a number of injuries this year. Dating back to 2017, tight ends in McVay's system have finished outside the top 15 in receiving yards among tight ends five times. Not much is asked of these tight ends in the receiving game. They are regularly used as blockers in the run and have to chip in the passing game before releasing the ball. Does this sound familiar?

According to PFF Snap Count data, Kyle Pitts was used inline at a rate of 57.5%, which is on track to be the highest rate of his career at nearly 20%. That's a huge role change and usage rate delta, but it's consistent with what we should expect from a McVay student. Zac Robinson has committed to these missions. Week 1 was the only time Pitts had more than 11 snaps in the slot, with 24. Pitts is no longer an F tight end; he is a Y.

So it's not about beating a dead horse, but yes, he is still adjusting to this new role, which is challenging and different from the role he was meant for. As I said, 2021 has almost become a curse. Pitts saw an unrealistic usage rate and was labeled as the team's true number one option. Since then, Pitts has been dealing with a nagging knee injury, and the team added several pieces that would also take a toll on football. These pieces (Bijan Robinson, Drake London and Darnell Mooney) take priority over tight end in Atlanta's new offense.

That being said, many current ailments have nothing to do with the Xs and O's and focus more on effort and skill. I won't make excuses; There is a lack of effort in some pieces, but the number of pieces that appear to exist is inflated. Kyle Pitts isn't a perfect blocker, but he's a much more willing blocker than you'd think, and we've seen improvement in these four games. He's being asked to do this more than ever, so yes, of course there will be more casualties. From the receiver's perspective, a bad route is not the same as a lazy route; Some routes are easier to run than others depending on the player. Kyle Pitts has never been a quick-twitch receiver who can always quickly twitch during breaks; Few men his size are.

These quick slants and other short concepts that force him to stop and start more often don't suit his game. Pitts wants to get vertical and work his way up the field, allowing him to increase his speed, and that's when he's at his best. We saw it in Kansas City on his 50-yard reception and in the end zone when he cleanly beat his man on a play that should have been a touchdown or pass interference at worst. And yes, Pitts still has enough speed to fly vertically, regardless of what the GPS-based distance data says. This data is measured at the time of catch for targeted wide receivers, misses open, untargeted receivers, and does not account for WRs throwing into coverage. Pitts is still coming up quickly.

Will this role ever change or expand? Maybe, but it will be a slow process. Kyle Pitts always had a two-year plan for this current offense. The first year started off slower and slower as Robinson learned to implement the basics of the system and got the other parts up and running first. There have been small moments where Pitts has been the focus of a play, but it probably won't go much beyond that for now. One reason is that not all current opportunities are taken, and the second reason is that there is only one football. Could there ever be a “Pitts Package”? Sure, but most would be fine with Pitts' current role if the offense was at a higher level.

This offense leaves meat on the bone, and Pitts' drastically changed role has put the young tight end even more in the spotlight. Still, it's only four games and Pitts is under contract for at least 30 more games. This process will take time, and while I understand how frustrating it is to hear this in year four, the truth is that all we can do is wait.