Five years ago, when Kyle Pitts crossed the draft stage in Cleveland, it felt cinematic, the kind of moment sports documentaries slow down for dramatic effect. The Atlanta Falcons had just made him the highest-drafted tight end in NFL history with the fourth pick in 2021.
And now, in 2025, after a Second-Team All-Pro campaign and the best statistical season since his rookie year, he stands on the edge of free agency with something far more powerful than hype: timing.
Kyle Pitts Could Be the Missing Piece in the Rams’ Matthew Stafford Era
According to PFSN, the Los Angeles Rams are predicted as a natural landing spot for Kyle Pitts because they might need one last, carefully chosen piece. This is about Matthew Stafford.
Stafford is not rebuilding. He isn’t developing. He’s calibrating. Every offseason now carries the tone of intention, of making sure the window swings wide enough for one more run. The Rams came within a game of making a Super Bowl appearance last season, and around the league, there’s a quiet consensus: had they made it, they would have been favored.
Head coach Sean McVay has always loved the chess match. Last season, Los Angeles leaned heavily into “13 personnel,” deploying three tight ends to create mismatches and distort defensive rules. It worked, structurally. But it lacked a certain ember. Now, Pitts, alongside Terrance Ferguson, might give the defensive coordinators a nightmare to scheme against.
DRAFT SEASON: PFSN’s FREE Mock Draft Simulator
“Davante Adams and Puka Nacua are set to return to Los Angeles in 2026, but the Rams could see an opportunity to add to their offense and give Matthew Stafford all the pieces he needs to make one final run at a championship,” the analysis by PFSN reads.
Pitts tilts the field. The frustration in Atlanta was never really about talent. Even during a statistically modest 2024 season, 602 yards, four touchdowns, evaluators pointed to usage and quarterback instability as contributing factors. He often felt like potential waiting for permission.
In 2025, he finally got it.
Under a new offensive direction, he became a focal point rather than a decoy, posting career highs in receptions (88) and touchdowns (five). He finished eighth in PFSN’s TEi.
Now the numbers matter.
Pitts is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent unless Atlanta uses the franchise tag, projected at around $16 million. PFF’s projection suggests a contract in the range of three years, $48 million if he reaches the open market. That’s not casual spending.
And the Rams have shown they are not afraid of intention.
