The NFL is a brutal business, especially when it comes to dealing with injuries. If a player gets hurt and misses time, fans will call them injury-prone. If they play through the pain and fail to produce, people will accuse them of losing a step or not trying hard enough.
We saw this with former Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley, who felt pressure to play early in the 2021 season after rushing back from a broken ankle. In 2023, tight end Kyle Pitts rushed back from a severe knee injury and wasn’t quite as effective.
Pitts’ health was a consistent debate all season, but few outside of the organization knew the extent of his injury. On Wednesday, Pitts posted about playing all 17 games after undergoing PCL/MCL surgery. The PCL injury was not previously reported.
Instagram post raises questions
Kyle Pitts latest Instagram post discusses having MCL/PCL surgery last year.
Quite an impressive feat to play all 17 games after that. pic.twitter.com/yMGV9K9uRY
— Miles Garrett (@MilesGarrettTV) January 10, 2024
I didn’t know Pitts also had PCL surgery. I thought the surgery was just to repair his torn MCL? Man was playing hurt but people called him lazy. Hope he continues to get better and has a full recovery. 🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/QgczRWT2yU
— Carrie (@carrielynnxox) January 10, 2024
maybe now people will cut him some slack but I’m sure the couch potatoes that pull hamstrings from standing up
will still call him soft https://t.co/RdxkTDShGn— Tre'Shon (@tre3shon) January 10, 2024
I feel like a terrible person now 😐 https://t.co/Ssbur8UwUO
— Mondo the Clocker (@MondoyMando_19) January 10, 2024
Maaaan this plus the Bijan mystery illness game causing fines for the organization had Arthur’s blood in the water. I wonder how many other “stories” are living in that locker room https://t.co/QbiAiyei8N
— Magic Notes (@magicnotes) January 10, 2024
Kyle Pitts –
More clarity on his actual surgery. Had a feeling it was far more than just MCL given his lack of mobility, scarring and slow recovery.
PCL repaired are complex and slow. His timeline makes complete sense why he didn’t look right nearly all year.
2024 at 100% 🚀 https://t.co/m40NjqnQJQ pic.twitter.com/i15RIubI6V
— Jeff Mueller, PT, DPT (@jmthrivept) January 10, 2024
This explains why he wasn’t at his full potential. I wonder if this played a factor in his limited role on the offense🤔 https://t.co/zNG21CohGy
— Baby Girl(Falcon Diva) (@itzbabygirl30) January 10, 2024
#Falcons TE Kyle Pitts just revealed that he had surgery last year on not only his MCL, but also his PCL.
The PCL injury had not been reported anywhere to my knowledge.
Why didn’t the team correctly report this? pic.twitter.com/wok2GRwPqD
— (Offseason Mode) Rise Up Ridder (@RiseUpReader) January 10, 2024
Folks told me he wasn’t hurt though, he was just lazy 🤷🏽♂️ https://t.co/OYPNxqQsab
— New year New Damski 🎉 (@Damski32) January 10, 2024
Folks were calling Pitts a lazy route runner. Shame on y’all!
— Dee (@deethatsall) January 10, 2024
The entire season with fans wondering what was wondering, why this wasn't reported is beyond me. Plain dumb. https://t.co/9UbLuf6e9i
— Russell Irving (@RGInteger) January 10, 2024
I was telling these folks on here we was recovering from injury but playing post MCL & PCL surgery just shows he’s different https://t.co/rKMVu5ZT9F
— Falcoholic Phil (@GAPhilterfish) January 10, 2024
That explains it. We thought it was just MCL surgery https://t.co/bpFi0NFc0g
— A M B E Z Y (@bezy_bby) January 10, 2024
You got to respect the Falcons young core. Multiple years of bad coaching and tough defeats every Sunday but none of them ever pointed fingers at each other or talked down on coaching/teammates/fans https://t.co/AM05TKZUxk
— The Hood Therapist (@OhhMar24) January 10, 2024
Some of y’all know better though, right? https://t.co/4BH3NzgP4c
— K (@projectjax) January 10, 2024
A real one.🙏Pitts is gonna go off next season after we finally get an actual QB. #Falcons https://t.co/D7IQfqY86u
— Yuriy Andriyashchuk🇺🇦 (@YuriyATL) January 10, 2024
DBN expected this mf to run routes like prime Jerry Rice with a fresh surgically repaired knee https://t.co/plDj21Ax3E
— Him (@LaflareTMC) January 10, 2024
Been telling people that man was not healthy and it showed. Props to him for gutting it out. https://t.co/uaylX02cg5
— Ken Griffey (@KennyP_757) January 10, 2024
There was no way he looked like that in college and year one then all of a sudden he looked like running hard was too much of a task. Hopefully he gets back healthy and is able to be a star https://t.co/HL5S9OhW37
— Coach Wright (@CoachEmUpWright) January 10, 2024
sorry we drafted you to this bum ass franchise kyle. you deserved so much better. here’s to hoping the 2nd chapter of your career is with a real quarterback. 🫡🫡💯💯 https://t.co/sIz1z3BOr8
— 🔴⚫️#FadinForJayden🟣🟡 (@PigskinJunkie91) January 10, 2024
Let’s go Kyle! Can’t wait to watch you pop off with you’re new OC‼️ https://t.co/Hko1lfYumO
— DirtyBirdlover🔥❤️🖤 (@SimplyDirtyBird) January 10, 2024
Explain that hashtag https://t.co/uvn9F0LkS0
— They Got Me (@PaulTweetsRIP) January 10, 2024
