The Atlanta Falcons are approaching an incredibly pivotal offseason on the offensive side of the football. Both Bijan Robinson and Drake London are eligible for lucrative long-term extensions, Michael Penix Jr. will be rehabbing a partially torn ACL, and Kyle Pitts is set to hit free agency this coming March.
The fifth-year tight end was selected fourth overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, and his time in Atlanta has been a true roller coaster. He shined as a rookie, but a mix of quarterback purgatory and injuries hampered his consistency, but has enjoyed a bounce-back campaign with Penix starting this year.
Given the Falcons' clear lack of cap space, it'll be difficult to find flexibility to retain all three former first-round picks, and the 25-year-old is on the outside looking in. He's been a popular trade candidate all summer, so if he is retained, it would more than likely be due to the franchise tag.
Falcons are approaching a serious dilemma about Kyle Pitts' future
Spotrac projects Pitts' market value at four years, $45.9 million, which comes in at roughly $11.5 million per season. And that proce tag isn't worth it for a tight end who has just one 1,000-yard receiving season, especially for a rebuilding team with bigger needs all across the roster.
After a hot start to the year, Pitts has cooled off considerably across the last few weeks. The former Mackey Award winner has caught 47 passes for 434 yards and a touchdown, but has caught just four passes for 52 yards across the last two games, and that's on a team with no pass-catching depth.
On the final season of his rookie contract, the ex-Florida standout is currenly the 20th-highest paid tight end in the NFL, making just $8.3 million on the year. But any long-term deal Pitts inks—whether it be now or in free agency—would more than likely make him one of the 10 highest-paid tight ends in football.
And for a Falcons team that is talented but still hasn't made any significant progress amid their rebuild, investing quality cap space into a non-premium position would be a mistake. The extension costs for Bijan and Pitts are eerily similar, so why not bring back the player more important to the offense?
Terry Fontenot knows what cards he's been dealt, but if he plays them right it'll help this roster in the long run. Pitts' whole story in Atlanta has been that of wasted potential, so maybe the best path forward is deciding to cut a former generational tight end prospect loose.