Kyle Pitts entered the offseason as an unrestricted free agent after playing out the fifth year of his rookie contract. The Atlanta Falcons quickly used the franchise tag on him, which Pitts eventually signed, to keep him around for 2026.
However, what happens to him beyond that is anyone's guess. But if a contract prediction from Spotrac's Michael Ginitti is accurate, you can expect to see him back for the next few years.
Spotrac (and Ginitti himself) highlighted what extensions for six tight ends could look like, with Pitts' projection being something the Falcons have to jump on. His current value is at four years and $58.5 million, equating to $14.6M per year. The Falcons are paying him a tick over $15M in 2026 on the tag.
"Pitts signed his franchise tag this month, and all parties could very well be content with that outcome going forward," Ginnitti wrote. "The 25-year-old posted career numbers in 2025 (88 catches, 5 TD), boosting his Spotrac valuation to nearly $15M this offseason. Another strong outing in 2026 could vault him into Top TE money ($19M+) next spring."
Falcons can save money by signing Kyle Pitts to an extension ASAP
$15 million per year for a player of his caliber would be a steal. And the Dirty Birds must take advantage of any steal they can get with Drake London and Bijan Robinson extensions likely coming. While Ginitti thinks the Florida product will play out the year on the tag, they'd be foolish not to extend him before next offseason.
Pitts became a relied-upon target for the offense last year. His three-touchdown performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers helped bring the Falcons into a three-way tie for the top of the NFC South.
You could argue Pitts is more like an elite receiver -- a market that is heads and shoulders above tight end. While things haven't always gone smoothly for the former No. 4 pick, he played with a level of confidence last year that we hadn't seen since he was a rookie.
Confidence has been the key for the Pro Bowler throughout his career. He struggled to trust himself ever since his season-ending injury in his second year. Finally, he found his footing last season. Trey McBride was the only player at the position with more receiving yards.
Playing under the franchise tag has Pitts as the fourth-highest-paid tight end, behind George Kittle ($19.1M), Trey McBride ($19M), and T.J. Hockenson ($16.5M). Spotrac's prediction would land him in the same place.
While being top-five in pay at the position may not sound like a steal, the disparity between No. 1 and No. 4 is over $4 million. Outside of McBride, Pitts is coming off a better season and has stayed much healthier than those other guys.
Point being, if the Falcons can land their superstar on this contract, they have to do it. They can't risk seeing him raise his value with a 1,000-yard season in Kevin Stefanski's tight-end scheme.
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