Is Kyle Pitts Wanted In Tampa?
January 22nd, 2026
It’s hard to believe, but veteran tight end Kyle Pitts, who had a standout 2025, will be just 25 years old when next season kicks off.
Pitts has all the talent a tight end would need, but he’s been a roller coaster ride since being drafted No. 4 overall by the Falcons in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Pitts had a record-breaking rookie start to his career with 1,026 receiving yards and a Pro Bowl trip. Then he got hurt. Then he sort of disappeared on the field. And then Pitts made a strong comeback last season with 88 catches for 928 yards and 5 touchdowns. Even his blocking was drawing praise.
Joe brings up the former Florida Gator (2018-2020) because the Bucs just hired the Falcons offensive coordinator of the past two years, Zac Robinson. And Pitts is a pending free agent while the Bucs could use an upgrade at the position.
Was Pitts just crazy hungry in a contract year or has he matured into a Pro Bowl-caliber player? Or did Robinson figure out how to use him? Joe was highly impressed by Pitts catching 74.6 percent of his targets last season.
Pitts will have suitors and the Bucs might not prioritize tight end. But if the Bucs want to jack up their loaded offense even more, then durable Pitts is an intriguging option.
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January 22nd, 2026 at 11:29 am
Sure. But involved Culp some more. Maybe Robinson will do that. Keep Otton.
January 22nd, 2026 at 11:34 am
Knowing that during parts of the season otton had to help the battered OL, the overall strange use of the TE position was one of the knocks on Grizzard. Culp and Durham each had just one catch apiece.
January 22nd, 2026 at 11:35 am
I’ll take him, not sure if he would be affordable.
January 22nd, 2026 at 11:39 am
Culp !!!!
January 22nd, 2026 at 11:42 am
NO!
Not with what we have invested at WR. Investing anything outside of just bringing Cade back is doing too much.
No, we don’t need to spend a day 1/2 pick on the position.
ATP, we don’t even need to bring back Ko Keift. I’m sorry, but that’s a waste of a roster spot moving forward.
The athletic TE all y’all are lusting over, tied with Tristan freaking Wirfs in targets this past year.
No, we need a LG. Yes we have Bredeson, but this season proved we could use a 3rd OG that can swing on either side of the C.
Like Rachaad White said, there’s only 1 ball to go around.
Even IF we don’t get Mike back, we still have Godwin-EE-JMac as our lead 3 and we’ll likely have a new RB(which I’d draft over a TE too).
Said in another thread, TE is 3rd in the offensive skill position pecking order on our offense. Not gonna change, unless our WRs get hurt, which isn’t an OC thing that’s a QB thing.
January 22nd, 2026 at 11:43 am
No. We dont have salary cap room to waste on TE. We need d line, and line backers. Anything else is a waste of cap space.
January 22nd, 2026 at 11:52 am
Pitts is too expensive for Licht since Licht only likes Dollar Store free agents.
IF IF – Licht spends any significant money in FA, it would be at ILB and Edge.
January 22nd, 2026 at 11:54 am
Ko Kieft or someone like him is what we really need.
I said what I said.
January 22nd, 2026 at 11:54 am
Kaden Ellis !!!! Should be at top of our free agency board if he makes it that far. Him and Algier. Pitts would be a luxury unless evans hangs it up.
January 22nd, 2026 at 11:55 am
THINK 2027
DON’T expect any big free agents in 2026.
DO expect to finish last in the NFCS.
The Bucs will have +$100M in available cap space, a veteran OLine, tons of young talent, and great draft picks.
The perfect recipe for a new HC. Instant reload.
January 22nd, 2026 at 12:00 pm
guys a bum. Doesnt practice hard and goes full blast half the time.
January 22nd, 2026 at 12:01 pm
I totally agree he would be an upgrade over Otton. Only cause he’s way more gifted in his abilities. Otton has bin steady Eddie. Hes bin more consistent the Pitts. Otton had a a little bit of a down year but so did the whole dam team and let’s forget Otton put the offense on his back when Godwin and Evans went down in 24. Otton takes beating and gets up every time. The only way I’d say you take Pitts over Otton is if they could so with out a doubt he will produce like his rook year and last year which they can’t
January 22nd, 2026 at 12:01 pm
Doesn’t Pitts only have big games against Bowles and his defense, for the most part? Why would he want to give up 2 easy games a year where he can light them up?
January 22nd, 2026 at 12:02 pm
Can he rush the passer?
January 22nd, 2026 at 12:02 pm
At this point, the only draft pick I want spent on offense is Quarterback, and not in the first round. So a free agent is a good idea, and I suspect he will not be unrealistically priced.
I’m for it…so long as he is willing to earn things.
January 22nd, 2026 at 12:02 pm
I like Cade Otton more though.
January 22nd, 2026 at 12:03 pm
Ko isn’t really a tight end, he’s more of a bruising fullback and great special teams player. We really don’t need to lose him
January 22nd, 2026 at 12:04 pm
“Ko Kieft or someone like him is what we really need.“
You spelled Cody Mauch wrong lol
January 22nd, 2026 at 12:04 pm
He’s been considered a bust for most of his career and fans want him here now? We need someone like Kittle or Kelce to change the culture, not someone who only plays when they want to.
January 22nd, 2026 at 12:06 pm
Warren Brooks Lynch Says:
January 22nd, 2026 at 11:42 am
NO!
Not with what we have invested at WR.
*******
I see your point, but what if Evans doer not re-up with Bucs? Does that change anything? ( I think it would).
January 22nd, 2026 at 12:08 pm
bucnjim, development. He had a great rookie year, 2 bad years, then another great year. Those 2 bad years were due to injury.
January 22nd, 2026 at 12:08 pm
Pitts is a bum. You can tell he doesnt love the game. Dude’s been a ghost except when its getting close to money bag grab.
January 22nd, 2026 at 12:10 pm
Joe, they ALL know he’s a former Gator. Most of them thought Kyle Trask would come off the practice squad/bench and the two of them would lead Atlanta to the Super Bowl.
January 22nd, 2026 at 12:12 pm
Can he block? Really just draft one and or use who we have more. Cull seems capable but Otton didn’t really stops the dropsies
January 22nd, 2026 at 12:26 pm
Well he wouldn’t play against Todd Bowles defense twice a year. That would take him to 2 TDs 70 catches under 700 yards. Meh if you get a good deal anyway.
January 22nd, 2026 at 12:36 pm
ATL will NOT let him go. They still have the franchise tag at WORST. Which is not a lot of money on TE’s. He’s going NOWHERE.
January 22nd, 2026 at 12:54 pm
“I see your point, but what if Evans doer not re-up with Bucs? Does that change anything?”
Yes, that means we draft another WR to make up for the possibility of being without Mike, but also to upgrade from the likes of Sterling Shepard & Kam Johnson. Plenty of talent in this class, some with the same physical frame as Mike with more/less athletic intangibles in their respective games.
We use WRs much more than we use our TEs, and I don’t think that changes under Zac Robinson. So investing in that position, especially with draft capital which takes away from where we need to focus on upping our talent elsewhere.
I’m not as down on Cade as most fans and think our front office is savy enough to can bring him back w/o much cap manipulation. In terms of the TE positon, we need to keep it as simple as possible and just move forward.
I’d be more interested in hearing what Robinson thinks he can get out of the TE position with the other 2 TEs we have on rookie deals, before over-drafting a rookie TE.
January 22nd, 2026 at 12:59 pm
Pass catching weapons are not prioritized on a Bowles coached team.
It’s a simple run, run. short dropped pass, punt offensive game plan.
Then lean on the Swiss cheese soft as butter defense to save the day.
And it doesn’t help when you have a vertically challenged mid-tier QB.
Three more years and 51+ more games to go folks.
Just bide your time until this lost 7 year nightmare is over.
January 22nd, 2026 at 12:59 pm
He better be. He’s super young and athletic. I see him as guy he could flourish in a different environment. How about Isiah Likely? He can play too.
January 22nd, 2026 at 1:08 pm
Why bring him here? baker won’t throw him the ball…..it will be another waste of talent….
January 22nd, 2026 at 1:09 pm
Expensive. We have a phenomenal receiver, room and RBs that can catch the ball. They do not need to spend heavily at TE. Otton was the perfect fit, a decent blocker and receiver when needed. Even though he did have some inexcusable drops now and then.
If he’s affordable, sure, but the focus should be O line depth, and possible guard upgrade. ILB completely revamped through draft and free agency. And another DB since Dean is probably gone.
And they never-ending quest for dominant edge rusher
January 22nd, 2026 at 1:16 pm
Kyle Pitts could be the missing link—go get him!
January 22nd, 2026 at 1:24 pm
I like our TE room, we just had an OC in diapers that didnt know how to get the ball to all of them and didnt know how to stand up to a head coach that doesnt believe in putting someone on the field unless they check all of his silly little boxes as a complete player.
January 22nd, 2026 at 1:27 pm
He wouldn’t hurt the offense. He would certainly be an improvement. It would also take one more thing away in the draft that you have to look for and would allow another defensive player to get drafted.
If it’s not a ton of $$$ relatively speaking I don’t see why not.
January 22nd, 2026 at 1:32 pm
Nope. I loved him in college. He was dominant! Not so much in the NFL. We have a HOF WR, another Pro Bowl caliber WR, and 2 above avg WRs. We need to pay this guy to be below his ability level? McVay and his offensive system are not TE+ type offenses.
January 22nd, 2026 at 1:40 pm
We didn’t prioritize pass rushers so why him….
January 22nd, 2026 at 1:50 pm
I hope I don’t hear about any signings/draftings on the offensive side other than a lineman. We need to add to our defense especially at the DE and linebacker positions.
January 22nd, 2026 at 3:06 pm
Culp cannot or will not block.
January 22nd, 2026 at 3:11 pm
You need two good receiving tight ends in a modern NFL offense. Right now they have, like, half of one. This has been a neglected need for years.
January 22nd, 2026 at 3:13 pm
I would go for it as would also be the Mike replacement. Big tall fast. Can play TE wr hybrid
January 22nd, 2026 at 3:14 pm
…look how much the Rams played 13 personnel this year. Robinson is a McVay guy.