The Atlanta Falcons are facing the OTAs without a key piece of their roster. As QB Michael Penix Jr. gets the spotlight on him to shine, he has to do it without one of his playmakers. The reason is simple—an injury that has thrown this player’s future with the team in question this new season. And with trade rumors circling like falcons in the sky, Atlanta doesn’t seem willing to provide any straight answers. Who are we talking about here? Not Kirk Cousins, but 5th-year veteran TE Kyle Pitts.

When Kyle Pitts showed up in Atlanta, his first-round hype followed. He even put up the numbers to justify that hype. But injuries followed him like birds of prey, and his numbers dwindled as the hype burned out as well. And now, he’s missed the OTAs because of an injury that HC Raheem Morris was determined not to talk about. As Morris said recently, “Extremely cautious with Kyle right now and what he’s got going on. And obviously… you don’t talk about injuries this time of year…” But even if the coach doesn’t talk about it, word goes around, and now an NFL insider has the confirmation.

NFL insider Adam Schefter recently shared his take on the Kyle Pitts situation in Atlanta. As per Schefter, “Kyle Pitts, who has not been practicing with what the Falcons say is an unspecified medical condition. Well, that unspecified medical condition, I’m told, is a strained muscle in his foot.” So, Kyle Pitts, entering the fifth year of his rookie contract, is sitting out the OTAs with a foot en route to healing. Incidentally, there are also reports of a major trade interest swirling around the TE from multiple teams. And as per Schefter, “There also have been teams that have approached the Falcons about trading for Kyle Pitts. Now, I don’t think the Falcons are looking to deal him, but they’re not turning away the calls either.” So why all the interest in an obviously injured TE? The answer is potential.

When Kyle Pitts joined Atlanta in 2021, he followed up the first-round hype with numbers. A massive 1,026 yards by a rookie TE, which was unheard of since the legendary performance of Mike Ditka way back in the easy 60s. While the numbers have dwindled since then due to multiple injuries, the Falcons are not letting him go without a fight. As Schefter added, “If there were a team that were willing to give up enough to get him, I think that they could be enticed into trading the former top five overall selection to another team. The issue there is he’s due $11 million in salary this year. And I don’t know that there are a whole lot of teams lining up to pay the Falcons what it would take and to pay Kyle Pitts what it would take when he’s entering the last year of his contract.”

But it’s not just about the money. As per other sources, the Falcons are also looking for a day 2 draft pick in exchange for Kyle Pitts. If any team is willing to match the stakes, the Falcons may be willing to let go of their TE. The team also believes in Pitt’s potential to “blossom into something,” so it makes sense they want that pound of flesh if he’s traded. And while this Pitts trade saga continues, the Falcons are also sitting on another golden egg. A player that’s rising in value every day that the mandatory minicamps inch closer. And for the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Kirk Cousins deal with the Falcons is looking more and more tempting with each passing day.

High time for the Steelers to make a choice?

Now, the Steel City is at a point where it can’t figure out who it wants to blame. Mike Tomlin, for breaking character and waiting months on end for a QB who’s not shown any signs of showing up? Or the veteran Aaron Rodgers, who still remains MIA after months of speculation and dropping hints. But as far as the Steelers are concerned, they have a backup plan in place if A-Rod doesn’t show. And that’s Falcons’ QB Kirk Cousins. And insiders believe it’s the patience well has almost run dry for the Steelers.

As Adam Schefter put it, “Kirk Cousins, who’s due all that guaranteed money, $27.5 million this upcoming season. Falcons want to see what’s going on with his situation, where Kirk Cousins could get interesting.” Why a week from now? The mandatory minicamps begin for the Steelers, and if A-Rod is still a no-show at that point, the Steelers might just have to write a big check for the Falcons. As per Schefter, if Aaron Rodgers “drags his feet more, if he doesn’t show up for that mandatory minicamp, and if you are the Pittsburgh Steelers, don’t you at that point in time have to have a conversation about whether you should explore trading for Kirk Cousins and lobbying a call into the Falcons to make a move there?” So will Mike Tomlin make that call after all?

Mike Tomlin needs a veteran QB to work with Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson while Will Howard develops. So, a Kirk Cousins trade seems more likely every day, while Aaron Rodgers makes them wait. If the mandatory minicamp begins without Rodgers, Mike Tomlin might just make the call. But the Steelers remain hopeful, with reports suggesting they might be willing to wait until September for Rodgers to show. Decisive action on Kirk Cousins, or waiting game for Rodgers? What do you think the Steelers will do?