One NFL team that could be primed to make a big jump this season is the Atlanta Falcons, who went just 7-10 last season.
They have added a very capable quarterback in Kirk Cousins, a four-time Pro Bowler, and they recently made a couple of big additions on defense in pass rusher Matthew Judon and safety Justin Simmons.
One of their main cogs on offense is tight end Kyle Pitts, who had been dealing with a hamstring injury, but per Marc Raimondi, Pitts was a full participant in practice on Thursday.
TE Kyle Pitts was back to full participation at practice today #Falcons pic.com/n6q70lX6h7
— Marc Raimondi (@marcraimondi) September 5, 2024
Pitts is coming off a 2023 season in which he had 53 receptions for 667 yards and three touchdowns, and if he’s healthy enough, his stats could go up thanks to better quarterback play.
But Cousins has an injury concern of his own, as he’s working his way back from the torn Achilles he suffered midway through last season as a member of the Minnesota Vikings.
He was possibly on his way to making his fifth Pro Bowl at the time of that injury, as he threw for 2,331 yards and 18 touchdowns while completing 69.5 percent of his pass attempts in eight games.
In addition to Pitts, the Falcons have two capable wide receivers in Drake London and newcomer Darnell Mooney, and running back Bijan Robinson is coming off a strong rookie season and seems headed for stardom.
Many are picking Atlanta to finish first in the NFC South, and this could therefore be the year they make the playoffs for the first time since the 2017 campaign.
