The Atlanta Falcons fans went crazy last game as Kyle Pitts delivered a historic performance in a 29-28 come-from-behind victory. This performance from the Falcons tight end puts him alongside Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe. Naturally, Sharpe noticed.

On his Nightcap podcast, Sharpe explained why it’s special. “Tonight he was a receiver, he wasn’t a retriever. He played his a-s off,” he said while breaking down the outing.

Pitts went for 11 catches, 166 yards, and three scores. According to ESPN Research, no tight end had done that since Sharpe himself back in 1996. Since 1970, only five tight ends have touched those numbers in one game. Pitts joined Sharpe, Kellen Winslow, Todd Christensen, and Rich Caster.

However, despite this rare feat, Sharpe also kept it real for Pitts.

“Everybody knows he’s not gonna have a game like this every damn game. But to see what the potential is.”

That being said, let’s explore the gameplay. Kirk Cousins found Pitts for scores of 8 yards, 17 yards, and 7 yards. Each one mattered. The final grab cut the lead to 28-26 with 4:48 left. Pitts secured it as his backside landed in the end zone.

However, the Falcons missed the two-point try. Still, Pitts stayed involved. On the final march, he pulled in a 14-yard catch to keep the drive alive. That set the stage. Zane Gonzalez then drilled a 43-yard kick as time expired.

Finally, this night meant more to Pitts. It marked his first 100-yard game since 2021, his rookie season. He cleared 100 with two touchdowns before halftime. No Falcon had done that since Calvin Ridley in 2018. For one night, Pitts showed the ceiling, and it looked massive.

Kyle Pitts is happy to see his name beside Shannon Sharpe

After the noise settled, Pitts was grateful in the post-game.

“It means a lot,” Pitts said of his historic feat. “[Sharpe] is a great person to be behind, or beside now. Just want to keep competing and just put another one on tape.”

Interestingly, more than the stats or history, Pitts feels the biggest highlight of the night was the much-awaited win. Especially since the Falcons were knocked out of the playoff picture a week earlier by the Seahawks. It was their second victory in the last nine games.

“We’ve been having our ups and downs through the year,” Pitts said. “Obviously, it’s not fun to be eliminated early. But we’re resilient. The team we have, we’re just tight together, tight-knit. And we fight for each other. At this point, we’re just playing for each other. As we were before, now it’s just more enhanced. It was pretty fun to get that win.”

Now, what’s next for Pitts? He is in the final year of his rookie contract. On Thursday night, he looked like the fourth overall pick Atlanta once bet on.

So, will the Falcons keep him? Ian Rapoport reported that Arthur Blank plans to “evaluate” everything after the season. For now, Pitts did his part. He reminded everyone of what happens when the offense runs through him. That alone could spark contract talks.