The Atlanta Falcons could fall victim to a lot of roster turnover this offseason, but not all of it will better the foundation in 2026 and beyond. The Falcons could lose several key defensive starters like Kaden Elliss, but Kyle Pitts is by far their most important impending free agent this coming offseason.
The fifth-year tight end has enjoyed an up-and-down stint in Atlanta to begin his NFL career, and has yet to truly ascend to superstar status. While it was previously believed that a change of scenery would be the best way to tap into Pitts' potential, Week 14 proved that he's more than worth retaining.
Despite the blowout loss, the ex-Florida star caught six passes for a season-high 90 receiving yards against the Seahawks. With Drake London injured and Darnell Mooney struggling, Pitts has emerged as an invaluable safety valve that Terry Fontenot might need to award with new contract extension.
Kyle Pitts' impressive Week 14 performance might have just saved his future with the Falcons
From a pure talent perspective, the No. 4 pick in 2021 NFL Draft is one of the most gifted tight ends in the sport, but the production has yet to match. He hasn't surpassed 1,000 receiving yards since his rookie season, and only part of that can be attributed to the Falcons' growing quarterback instability.
In an offense with London and Bijan Robinson, you'd think that it makes scheming Pitts open easy. Instead, OC Zac Robinson has no idea what he's doing, which risked nearly ending his time in Atlanta earlier this season, but his connections with both Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix Jr. have other plans.
A new contract would likely pay the 25-year-old nearly $12 per season, but there's also a real chance he spends next season playing under the franchise tag. However, if he were to hit the open market in March, Pitts would receive a no shortage of interest from a plethora of teams across the league.
Mark Andrews just signed a new deal in Baltimore that'll pay him $13.1 million per season, and that's a good benchmark to consider whether the Falcons will pay the Philadelphia native. The consistency hasn't been there, but a bounce back season and a new regime could help him achieve his potential.
Both Cousins and Penix love targeting him, and Atlanta's weak receiver room has him operating as the quasi-WR2 behind London. As a key piece of the Dirty Birds' young nucleus, they can't afford to let Pitts walk, which was all but confirmed by a strong performance against an elite Seattle defense.