After Ian Cunningham and the Atlanta Falcons opted to use the franchise tag on Kyle Pitts, the expectation was that the drama would end there. However, in typical Falcons fashion, we were dead wrong, as nothing will stop Cunningham from fielding more offers to obtain additional draft capital.
Even though Pitts has been tagged, it may not stop Atlanta from fielding offers to trade him. A report from CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones revealed that because of Cunningham's affinity for draft picks, it's not insane to suggest that teams could inquire about Pitts' availability with him playing on the tag.
"While the Falcons would never trade standout running back Bijan Robinson , and while an extension for wideout Drake London is sure to materialize in the coming months, teams could inquire on franchise-tagged tight end Kyle Pitts."Jonathan Jones
This doesn't mean that the Dirty Birds certainly will trade the 25-year-old, but it's clearly in the realm of possibility. As Jones noted, agreeing to long-term extensions with Bijan Robinson and Drake London are just as imperative and Atlanta doesn't have unlimited money to spend, meaning Pitts could be the odd man out.
However, to me, this report seems like total BS. There's no reason Cunningham would turn around and do this after he and Kevin Stefanski have been so vocal in their praise of the young tight end. And with how he could end up being utilized in this offense, it doesn't make sense to get rid of him just yet.
Any rumors surrounding the Falcons trading Kyle Pitts are complete bogus
The Falcons tagged the ex-Florida Gator for a reason, so while tag-and-trades are becoming increasingly common, this is not one of those instances. The whole intent behind tagging Pitts in the first place was to buy Cunningham and Matt Ryan more time to agree to a long-term extension and prove that 2025 was no fluke-- even if his price tag increases.
It's not like they're going to land a first-round pick in return for him, so at that point, why pick up the phone? I understand a willingness to listen to offers for your star players, especially when you're a team, like the Falcons in need of extra picks, but you don't trade players for less than they're worth.
That is what is called a desperation move, and Cunningham has no reason to be desperate. Yes, he's stuck cleaning up the mess Terry Fontenot made with the James Pearce Jr. trade, but parting with a player who is pivotal to Atlanta's offensive success is the textbook definition of a no-win outcome.
Pitts is only making roughly $15 million on the franchise tag, and will be making a similar amount on a new contract extension, so the best course of action is to continue his growth with a coaching staff that'll how how to utilize his skillset on a consistent basis.