ATLANTA — Falcons coach Arthur Smith mentioned Friday he anticipates “all people” being prepared for the season opener on Sept. 10 in opposition to Carolina.
“All people” would come with tight finish Kyle Pitts, who’s recovering from surgical procedure to restore his proper MCL.
Requested particularly about Pitts’ restoration, Smith maintained a number of instances that the group goes to be good with its third-year tight finish, however it’s a sign he needs to be prepared by the opener.
“We totally anticipate all people being able to go Sept. 10,” Smith mentioned previous to the group’s second OTA observe. “And so we’ll be good.”
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Pitts has not been noticed at both of the open voluntary OTA practices, and Smith declined to supply a extra concrete timeline on Pitts’ return and whether or not he’ll be obtainable for coaching camp.
He had knee surgical procedure after struggling the harm in Atlanta’s win over the Chicago Bears on Nov. 20.
When Pitts was injured in November, Smith indicated then he wasn’t certain if Pitts could be prepared for offseason exercises, however that it was “nothing that considerations us for actual video games within the season.”
Atlanta has been cautious with accidents below Smith, particularly through the offseason and coaching camp. Receiver Drake London sat out most of final 12 months’s coaching camp after being injured within the preseason opener vs. Detroit.
“We’re making an attempt to be good. We all know we’re planning to play 20, 21 video games,” Smith mentioned Friday. “So whenever you do this, you must be able to go, peaking, able to roll Sept. 10 and play our greatest soccer on the finish of the 12 months.
“In order that goes into thoughts.”
Pitts, who additionally missed a recreation and was restricted in others final season due to a hamstring harm previous to the season-ending harm, had 28 catches for 356 yards and two touchdowns in 10 video games in 2022.
Pitts in 2021 grew to become the second tight finish in NFL historical past to eclipse 1,000 yards as a rookie, incomes a Professional Bowl berth.
