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ATLANTA, GEORGIA – OCTOBER 18: Kyle Pitts Sr. #8 of the Atlanta Falcons reacts after a touchdown as he is tackled by Dillon Thieneman #31 of the Chicago Bears during the fourth quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on October 18, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)

Kyle Pitts Active but Target-Free as Falcons Spread Tight Ends Ball on National Tight Ends Day

The Atlanta Falcons are throwing to their tight ends on Sunday. It just isn’t their biggest-name tight end catching the passes.

It is National Tight Ends Day, the NFL’s manufactured celebration of the position, and Atlanta is honoring the occasion by spreading the ball around its tight-end room against the San Francisco 49ers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Through the first 21 minutes, however, Kyle Pitts has been a spectator in the passing game.

Pitts is active, healthy, and on the field. He simply has not been thrown the ball. The Falcons had attempted eight passes and completed seven of them before Pitts recorded a target. Instead, Austin Hooper, Charlie Woerner, and Nick Muse have all come away with receptions, including a one-yard touchdown for Muse.

Here is a look at what is happening with Pitts, why the Falcons are looking elsewhere early, and what it could mean for the rest of the game.

Is Kyle Pitts Playing Today Against the 49ers?

Yes. Pitts is active and healthy and on the field for Sunday’s matchup against the San Francisco 49ers. The issue is usage, not availability.

Through the game’s opening 21 minutes, the Falcons had attempted eight passes and completed seven. Pitts did not have a single target in that span. He remained on the field running routes without the ball coming his way, even as the tight end position was theoretically in the spotlight.

For fantasy managers and Falcons fans hoping for a breakout performance on National Tight Ends Day, the early silence is familiar territory.

Why the Falcons Are Throwing to Hooper, Woerner, and Muse

Atlanta has used a wide variety of tight-end looks all season. Pitts leads the group in receiving, but the Falcons routinely put four tight ends on the field each week, and Sunday was no exception.

Three of those tight ends caught passes out of quarterback Michael Penix Jr.’s first eight attempts:

• Austin Hooper hauled in a 10-yard reception.
• Charlie Woerner caught a 9-yard pass.
• Nick Muse finished a 1-yard touchdown reception.

Muse’s score was the most frustrating play for anyone rostering Pitts in fantasy. The Falcons lined up in a heavy run formation with their best blockers, then hit a hard play-action fake. Muse stood wide open in the end zone for an easy catch. Pitts was not even on the field for the snap.

Kyle Pitts and the Quiet Sunday Pattern

The difficult part with Pitts, relative to some other talented players, is that there is no guarantee he starts producing just because Atlanta’s other tight ends are getting rolling early. He is known for these kinds of disappearing acts.

Pitts could certainly turn things around with one key, athletic catch later in the game. But through the first quarter-plus, that play has not happened—and it may not happen at all. Some Sundays, Pitts simply does not do much offensively, even when the game script and the calendar suggest he should be involved.

What Pitts’ Silence Means for the Falcons’ Tight End Rotation

The early returns show a Falcons offense willing to distribute touches across its tight-end depth rather than force the ball to Pitts. Hooper, Woerner, and Muse all found space against the 49ers, suggesting Atlanta’s game plan includes multiple options at the position.

That depth is a luxury, but it also highlights Pitts’ unpredictable role. He remains the team’s leading receiving tight end and a premium athletic talent, yet his weekly impact can swing dramatically. Whether he breaks out later Sunday or finishes quiet again, the Falcons have shown they can move the ball through their tight ends without him.

Bottom Line: One Quiet Half Does Not Define Pitts’ Season

It is still early, and one quiet stretch on National Tight Ends Day does not erase Kyle Pitts’ talent or his importance to Atlanta’s offense. The Falcons are clearly comfortable spreading the ball to Hooper, Woerner, and Muse when Pitts is not involved, but the Pro Bowl-caliber tight end remains capable of changing a game with one play.

For now, though, the story of Falcons tight ends on Sunday is not about their star. It is about everyone else.

Billy Heyen is a Heavy contributor with a focus on the NFL and MLB. A 2019 graduate of Syracuse University, he spent his senior year following Jim Boeheim’s basketball team around the country. His reporting has also appeared in The Sporting News, the Sandusky Register, and Rochester’s Democrat & Chronicle. He has covered the Buffalo Sabres, Cleveland Guardians, U.S. men’s national soccer team, and a variety of minor league baseball teams in person.

Sports, News, People, NFL, Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers, Kyle Pitts, Austin Hooper, Charlie Woerner, Nick Muse, Michael Penix Jr., Fantasy Football, National Tight Ends Day, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia, Heavy.com