There are players in this league who are so feared that defensive coordinators simply won’t let them get easy looks in the red zone. Guys like Julio Jones, DeAndre Hopkins and Travis Kelce will have seasons where they reel in double digit touchdowns—yes, I know Julio only has one—but in the years where they only have 5-7, they’re still making an outsized impact by demanding double teams and giving other options on their team better matchups. Those players objectively make life easier for their offensive coordinators, and losing them has an outsized impact.
If Julio is on the move in the near future—and hell, even if he’s not—Kyle Pitts is going to have to be one of those players for this offense to really soar.