Justin Herbert will never outright say it, but he has the same wish for the LA Chargers that every quarterback in the league has: to surround him with as many weapons as possible. Of course, the Chargers will never outright hear any frustration from their franchise quarterback, but it would be silly to think that he doesn't want as much help as possible.
The Chargers have shown a willingness to make Herbert's life as easy as possible. Jim Harbaugh re-hired former quarterbacks coach Shane Day, who had a close relationship with Herbert, and re-signed Mike Williams this offseason after a less-than-stellar 2024 campaign.
Familiar faces aren't the only way to help Justin Herbert. While the Chargers didn't make any big moves this offseason, the team still has the resources to make a move if it makes sense. And based on the latest trade rumors around Atlanta Falcons' tight end Kyle Pitts, there might be a trade that makes sense for LA.
Kyle Pitts trade rumors could give Justin Herbert another weapon on the Chargers
According to FOX Sports' Jordan Schultz, multiple teams have reached out to the Falcons about a Pitts trade. Atlanta reportedly prefers to keep the former first-round pick, but a trade does not seem to be out of the equation.
Initial reports indicate that the price for Pitts would be a day-two pick in the NFL Draft. If Atlanta isn't aggressively shopping Pitts it is hard to imagine that price moving much. A third-round pick may be too aggressive for the Chargers, although the NFL is an unpredictable business.
If the price decreases, or the Chargers can kick the third-round pick to a later year and hope to recoup it with a compensatory pick, then it cannot fully be ruled out. The Chargers are committed to making Herbert's life as easy as possible and Pitts would be a step toward accomplishing that.
Pitts has been mostly disappointing in his NFL career thus far but that is because of the massive expectations placed on him as an early first-round pick. Pitts has 100 receptions for 1,269 receiving yards with seven touchdowns the last two seasons combined.
Those aren't compelling numbers but Pitts has shown he can produce at a high level. After all, the former Florida Gator picked up over 1,000 receiving yards in his rookie season. The potential is there.
Kyle Pitts has never had a stable quarterback situation
Matt Ryan, Marcus Mariota, Desmond Ridder, Taylor Heinicke, Kirk Cousins, Michael Penix Jr. Those are the six quarterbacks who have primarily served as Pitts' quarterback during his tenure in Atlanta. The best name in that list is probably old man Matt Ryan, who was so bad after leaving the Falcons in 2022 that he was forced into retirement.
It's not all on his quarterback play as Pitts still hasn't been the floor-raiser that the Falcons thought he would be. Brock Bowers didn't have a good quarterback situation last year and still became an engine for the Raiders' offense.
That being said, Bowers also got a much larger target share than Pitts has ever gotten. And while it doesn't paint the entire picture, it's worth noting that Bowers and Pitts had the same average separation last season.
Pitts is barely turning 25 in October. He's playing under his fifth-year rookie option in 2025 (which the Chargers can afford) and will eventually need to sign a longer deal. If the Chargers want to bet on Pitts' upside with a good quarterback, they could get him in the building early in the hopes of getting a discount on his next contract.
Of course, it all depends on what the Chargers think about Pitts' long-term ceiling. While the team definitely shouldn't overspend, there could be a savvy way to improve the tight end room in the short-term while also finding the long-term tight end of the future.