The beauty about the NFL contract world is that it doesn't take long for a team to get vindicated for making a decision that gets chastized by the chronically online. There's a reason that most of us aren't NFL general managers, because if it were an easy job, more people would attempt to do it.
And it hasn't even taken long for the Atlanta Falcons to be vindicated on extending Kyle Pitts. They signed him to a three-year, $54 million deal with $36 million guaranteed. Paying him $18 million a year is pretty steep, but they believe in the talent enough to make him the third-highest paid TE in the NFL.
If you look at it from that lens, there isn't much you can say or do to question it. A talented player has a career year and should be built to keep thriving within the Falcons' offense. And while people are still against it, they were saved by the bell as an even worse tight end deal was signed the next day.
Brenton Strange's contract makes the Kyle Pitts deal age like fine wine
The Jacksonville Jaguars agreed to terms on a three-year contract extension worth up to $48 million with fourth-year tight end Brenton Strange. Strange is a good player, but almost $16 million a year? I would take Pitts for $2 million a year more 100 times out of 100, and there is no doubt in my mind.
While the question about the Pitts contract has been about his inconsistent production across five seasons, where's that same energy with Strange? He doesn't even have 1,000 career receiving yards across three seasons, and his best season came last year, when he still failed to clear 550 yards.
The 25-year-old had almost as many receiving yards in 2025 (928) as Strange does in his career (986). And they're the same age. Yeah, I'd rather pay the guy with the talent and upside to be one of the biggest matchup nightmares in the NFL, who also happens to have way more proven production.
The major difference between the two deal is the guaranteed money, as Strange will only get $25 million guaranteed compared to Pitts' $36 million, which is because of his track record. The former top-five pick hasn't been a world-beater, but is coming off a career year and we know what he can be.
This happened with Drake London and now it will with Kyle Pitts too. The Atlanta Falcons may have been bold on these new deals, but it didn't take long for them to be proven right, especially as the TE market has already started to evolve.
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