Kyle Pitts Sr., Atlanta Falcons star tight end, predicts that college football players will unionize due to the influence of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) compensation. He considers the idea of professional athletes returning to college football after NFL training camp as "crazy." Pitts believes that once players experience competition with adult professionals, they see it as a badge of honor and wouldn’t want to regress back to college status. He expects any potential union to be strong because of the significant influence NIL has given college athletes.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-16,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Why this leaning score
The model judged this article politically coded and scored it -0.45, but all 3 of its quote(s) are attributed speech - words the article quotes from someone, not the article's own narration, so the score is not published.
Written under an earlier scoring contract, which gave a paragraph
rather than checkable quotes. Re-analysing this article replaces it.
Leaning score withheld for article 13983: attributed speech only · logged 2026-09-16
LSU may have backed down on its quest to add professional athletes to its roster, but the conversation is still raging on.
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conversation → back → roster
Atlanta Falcons star tight end Kyle Pitts Sr. said he thought the concept of athletes returning to college football after participating in training camps is "crazy" and predicted college football players will unionize.
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players → say → camps
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page → contain → partners
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News → sign → wager
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that → create → newsroom
"I do think it's crazy, but I also think it's something that it's gonna happen," Pitts told OutKick in a recent interview.
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Pitts → think → interview
"We have to kind of brace for it because with NIL I feel like it's giving people chances to have different say, and in my opinion, I think, you heard from me here first.
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you → have → me
I think there's gonna be a union in the college football next.
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I → think → football
Which, you know, players will be able to have different rights to do different things."
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players → know → things
Pitts, who has played in the NFL for six seasons, said going through training camp is like earning a badge of honor and returning to college football is a step back.
"
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returning → play → football
I think once you go to the campground in NFL, I feel like it's a badge of honor of like, OK, I wouldn't want to go back to college and, whether things may have failed, whether you wanted them to (differently).
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them → think → college
It's not up to you to just want to try and want to regress and go back to college and just take another year on college campus when you've now been in competition with grown men with families and such, and just want to go back to college with kids," Pitts said.
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Pitts → want → kids
Given how NIL has evolved, Pitts expects any potential union among college players to be strong.
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union → give → players
"I think it'll be pretty strong because the donors and the voice that they have, it's like they're getting a lot of things done and especially with, look at how NIL has transcended from the first day to now.
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NIL → think → day
It's like they're getting their money's worth in terms of name, image and likeness.
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they → get → name
So it's good to see and I just can't wait to see like how big it'll turn.
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it → see → ?
But I do think they'll have an opportunity to make it pretty well known to where the voices are heard," Pitts said.
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Pitts → think → opportunity
The 25-year-old signed a three-year, $53 million contract extension with the Falcons this offseason.
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old → sign → Falcons
He didn’t have any catches in the team’s 20-13 Week 1 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, but he has amassed 284 catches for 3,579 yards and 15 touchdowns in his career.
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he → have → career
In addition to training for the football season, Pitts spent a day experiencing the work of special operations forces through USAA, training with a pararescue unit at Moody Air Force Base in southern Georgia.
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Pitts → train → Georgia
Pitts was put to the test by using the Jaws of Life to extract people from vehicles and aircraft, practicing basic tactical medical training for combat care, and simulating rescue missions.
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Pitts → put → missions
The Pro Bowl tight end said it was an unforgettable experience.
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it → say → ?
"That was a life-changing day and it changed my perspective on really what people do in the armed forces.
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people → change → forces
(I) got equipped with my greens on, and that was pretty cool that, I thought I was just gonna wear my own clothes, but I got my shirt on, got everything on, and had a chance to go through various different, not obstacles, but like training stations of like IVs, weapons, and artillery
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everything → equip → IVs
," Pitts said.
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Pitts → say → ?
Use the hammer to try and to save someone in, in the mission out of the car and had to use different tools to pry him out and get the door open and, and most importantly, stay calm in the situation," Pitts continued.
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Pitts → use → situation
"Then learned about defense, covering the target and it was pretty cool to go through those different things with the crew that I did, and I'll never forget that day."
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I → learn → day
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