Falcons Star Limited with Hamstring Injury ahead of Steelers Game

Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts is dealing with a hamstring injury and will be limited in practice before his team’s season-opening game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, head coach Raheem Morris told reporters on Wednesday.

Morris said that Pitts tweaked his hamstring a “couple weeks ago” and that it hasn’t significantly impacted him, but he was limited in practice on Monday and will be limited again on Wednesday.

At this point, it doesn’t seem likely that the injury will cause Pitts to miss the game against the Steelers, but his status should be monitored throughout the week.

The Falcons’ first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Pitts is 6-foot-6, 246 pounds and ran a 4.44-second 40-yard dash coming out of Florida. He had a 1,000-yard season as a rookie in 2021, but an injury in 2020 and poor quarterback play over the last two seasons has kept him from reaching his full potential.

With Kirk Cousins now at quarterback, the Falcons again expect Pitts to be a big part of their passing attack, along with fellow first-round pick, wide receiver Drake London.

“Drake London and Kyle Pitts, man, are matchup issues,” Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said. “They really are. Both of them are big-bodied guys who can play the ball above eye level and are vertical threats. As I mentioned, both guys are top-10 draft picks, and I just think that is reflective of their pedigree and talents. So, we’ve got to be cautious about the matchup component of play as it pertains to those guys.”

Backup tight end Charlie Woerners and Ross Dwelley are both new to the Falcons, coming over from the San Francisco 49ers this offseason. Woerner is mostly known as a blocker and a special teamer. He caught just 11 passes in four seasons in San Francisco. Dwelley had 19 catches for 245 yards back in 2020, but has just eight total receptions since then.

John Fitzpatrick, a sixth-round selection in the 2022 NFL Draft, is on the Atlanta practice squad. He has one career catch in two seasons.
The Falcons will practice again on Thursday and Friday before Sunday’s season-opening date with the Steelers, giving Pitts two more chances to practice fully before he’ll be ruled in or out.

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