The Pittsburgh Steelers have one of the better tight ends in the league with Pat Freiermuth catching 220 passes for 2,190 yards and 18 touchdowns in the first four seasons of his career.
And, while Freiermuth signed a four-year, $48.4 million extension last year, the Steelers are still looking to add to their tight end room, which also includes Darnell Washington, Connor Heyward and undrafted rookie JJ Galbreath.
Earlier this week, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Pittsburgh is discussing a trade with the Miami Dolphins for Jonnu Smith. However, he’s apparently not the only veteran under contract that general manager Omar Khan has checked in on.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Steelers have also inquired about the availability of Kyle Pitts.
“They’ve inquired about some other weapons, and I know we’re talking about receivers, talking about pass catchers,” Rapoport said on “Good Morning Football” on Friday. “They’ve had their eyes on some tight ends too. Jonnu Smith, there was a phone call there. Kyle Pitts, there was a phone call there. The Steelers are in the market, it seems, for at least one more playmaker.”
Pitts, 24, won a John Mackey Award and earned All-SEC honors twice and All-American honors once during his time with the Florida Gators, catching 100 passes for 1,492 yards and 18 touchdowns over three years.
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The Atlanta Falcons took Pitts in the first round (No. 4 overall) of the 2021 NFL draft, and he had a great rookie season, making a Pro Bowl in his first year as a pro. However, for where he was taken, he hasn’t had the production that many expected from him over four seasons, catching 196 passes for 2,651 yards and 10 touchdowns in 61 career games.
As Pitts enters his final season on his rookie deal (a $10.88 million fully-guaranteed fifth-year option), the Falcons may be willing to part with him for the right price.
Considering Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith was the Falcons head coach from 2021-23, Pitts’ first three years in the league, there’s a lot of familiarity there that makes this idea more likely.
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