In his first offseason as general manager of the Atlanta Falcons, Ian Cunningham was dealing with a Sophie's Choice: what's the best course of action with Kyle Pitts? Would they play the waiting game by franchise tagging him, sign him to an extension to end the paranoia, or roll the dice and risk letting him walk in free agency?
Time was of the essence in Atlanta, and with each passing day, our answer became more clear. After weeks of drama, we now know the Falcons are officially franchise tagging him, but that's essentially putting a band-aid on a bullet wound since Cunningham knows that'll merely delay the inevitable.
The 40-year-old had a golden opportunity to earn some brownie points from the fanbase, who really want to see Pitts back in red and black in 2026. The Dirty Birds have several important free agents for their new GM to worry about, but the former top-five pick is clearly the most important of the bunch.
Not everyone is on board with the price tag with an extension, but it doesn't change what Cunningham has to do. If the Falcons really want to keep Pitts as a security blanket for Michael Penix Jr., there's only way to end this saga for good, and that's with a much-deserved contract extension.
The Falcons made a mistake franchise tagging Kyle Pitts instead of extending him
The 25-year-old has consistently disappointed throughout his time in Atlanta, but 2025 finally changed the narrative. He finally looked like the generational tight end he was drafted as during the final six weeks of the year, and he'll become a centerpiece of the offense in Kevin Stefanski's system.
Now that the Falcons tagged Pitts, they'll be right back in this situation this time next year if they are unable to agree to an extension, where his price tag on an extension will only get more expensive. This is a situation where they don't have much leverage unless they truly feel they can replace him.
At the moment, the Florida product is expected to make between $13 and $16 million in AAV on a new deal, while he will make roughly $16.3 million on the franchise tag. That is comparable, so there's no reason for the Falcons to not to save some money by signing him to a long-term extension.
In his opening press conference, Cunningham mentioned not only developing homegrown talent, but retaining said talent, so he has a chance to put his money where his mouth is by not only extending Pitts, but also Drake London and Bijan Robinson before it becomes too late.