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Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts has had ups and downs over his first five years in Atlanta, but he showed enough upside to secure a three-year, $54 million extension from president of football Matt Ryan and general manager Ian Cunningham during the 2026 offseason.
The one thing holding the former top-five pick back is the team's inability to solidify the quarterback position. Pitts has played with six different starting quarterbacks - Matt Ryan, Marcus Mariota, Desmond Ridder, Taylor Heinicke, Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix Jr. - and might be playing with a seventh in 2026.
The Falcons signed Tua Tagovailoa to compete with Penix, but neither quarterback has been healthy enough to participate in 11-on-11 drills over the first three days of training camp. Undrafted free agent quarterback Jack Strand has taken the bulk of first-team reps.
Pitts likes what he has seen from the former MSU-Moorhead QB thus far, and praised the rookie following Friday's practice.
"Really impressive to be thrown into the fire like that," Pitts said of Strand. "He's embracing it. It's pretty cool to see how he's growing each day. Each day he's getting better."
Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski has also been impressed by Strand, praising the rookie's intelligence and preparation during his Friday press conference.
"Jack is doing a nice job," said Stefanski. "As a quarterback, you're prepared to be the starter. That's just how you do it."
Strand seemed like a long shot to make the roster when he signed, but the more he plays, the more his chances increase. The former Division II standout broke every school passing record during his four years at MSU-Moorhead.
He ended his collegiate career with 13,161 passing yards, 126 touchdowns and 50 interceptions. Strand has decent wheels as well, rushing for 288 yards and five touchdowns in his senior season.
Jones wasn't the only undrafted free agent making plays on Friday. Quarterback Jack Strand continues to get the bulk of first-team reps. Here's a clip of Strand connecting with wide receiver Drake London.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Kyle Pitts praises Falcons rookie quarterback Jack Strand
Continue reading...
The one thing holding the former top-five pick back is the team's inability to solidify the quarterback position. Pitts has played with six different starting quarterbacks - Matt Ryan, Marcus Mariota, Desmond Ridder, Taylor Heinicke, Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix Jr. - and might be playing with a seventh in 2026.
The Falcons signed Tua Tagovailoa to compete with Penix, but neither quarterback has been healthy enough to participate in 11-on-11 drills over the first three days of training camp. Undrafted free agent quarterback Jack Strand has taken the bulk of first-team reps.
Pitts likes what he has seen from the former MSU-Moorhead QB thus far, and praised the rookie following Friday's practice.
"Really impressive to be thrown into the fire like that," Pitts said of Strand. "He's embracing it. It's pretty cool to see how he's growing each day. Each day he's getting better."
Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski has also been impressed by Strand, praising the rookie's intelligence and preparation during his Friday press conference.
"Jack is doing a nice job," said Stefanski. "As a quarterback, you're prepared to be the starter. That's just how you do it."
Strand seemed like a long shot to make the roster when he signed, but the more he plays, the more his chances increase. The former Division II standout broke every school passing record during his four years at MSU-Moorhead.
He ended his collegiate career with 13,161 passing yards, 126 touchdowns and 50 interceptions. Strand has decent wheels as well, rushing for 288 yards and five touchdowns in his senior season.
Jack Strand finds Drake London for big gain
Jones wasn't the only undrafted free agent making plays on Friday. Quarterback Jack Strand continues to get the bulk of first-team reps. Here's a clip of Strand connecting with wide receiver Drake London.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Kyle Pitts praises Falcons rookie quarterback Jack Strand
Continue reading...
