In the 2024 NFL season, Kyle Pitts was put on an island that made him irrelevant as a TE. Despite appearing in all 17 games, he finished 14th in fantasy points among tight ends and recorded his lowest target share to date. This article explores Pitts’ performance metrics, how they compare to his previous seasons, and what this means for his future in the league.
Kyle Pitts, the fourth overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, has always been seen as a generational talent. He came into the league with expectations through the roof. That year, he broke rookie records with 1,026 receiving yards and ranked 11th overall in fantasy PPG. As we head into 2024, Pitts has had a difficult time repeating that kind of explosive play. This past season in 2024 he set new career highs with four receiving touchdowns and seven targets inside the end zone. These numbers highlight his true scoring upside that went unfulfilled throughout the season.
Performance Metrics in 2024
Pitts saw a significant drop off across the board in all major performance indicators during the 2024 season. His target share plummeted to a career-low rate of 14%, good for 25th in the entire tight end room. The drop in targets is especially troubling. He’s not like those other guys. He’s never finished outside of sixth in fantasy PPG over the last seven seasons. This huge target vacuum created an underwhelming season as a whole where he finished as the fantasy PPG 27th in FP/PG.
Against these odds, Pitts still made several impressive stats come to fruition. He was fifth at the position in routes run, and his 84% catch rate led all TEs. Taken together, these figures paint an impression that when opportunities presented themselves, he made the most of them. Yet, this efficiency was not enough to offset the general decrease in volume.
The difference between his previous performances and this forthcoming 2024 season could not be more striking. Through the first 2 seasons, Pitts only peaked at 667 yards and ended the season as the TE17 in fantasy PPG. He’s never done better than 16th in fantasy PPG. In 2023, he finished ninth which shows that he has to step up in the seasons to come.
Comparisons with Previous Seasons
Pitts’ current trajectory begs the question if he is truly cut out to be one of the top fantasy football tight ends. His performance metrics show a severe drop-off from his rookie season to now. Touchdowns and end zone targets were career highs for him in 2024. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to replicate the all-around yardage or fantasy point total that marked his history-making early career.
In comparison to his rookie season, where he logged 1,026 yards and ranked among the top tight ends, the current figures are disappointing. The decline is all the more striking given that he hasn’t sniffed the initial numbers since. This year, his performance has kept him well outside that top tier of tight ends. Instead, it unmistakably reflects a profound change in intent and implementation.
The consistency of his previous 2 seasons is the hard part to ignore. Pits had become a steady presence for fantasy owners. This rapid and dramatic change to a less entrepreneur-productive role has sparked some concern. Everyone is asking whether he can return to being one of the league’s elite tight ends again.
Looking Ahead
As Kyle Pitts heads into his second NFL season, a few things need to happen for him to truly succeed. How the new coaching staff approaches the offense and where C.J. Stroud fits within the quarterback dynamic will be key factors in determining his target volume and overall productivity. He was highest among all tight ends in snaps in 2024. This indicates he’s got the ability to get more integrated into the offense game plan wise moving forward.
His ability to stay an elite catch rate even when seeing fewer targets indicates he’s still got the talent to bounce back. Fantasy owners will need to monitor offseason developments closely to gauge whether this young talent can reclaim his previous status among top tight ends.
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