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The Atlanta Falcons made headlines on draft day when they drafted quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth pick in the draft. Penix is the latest of four consecutive top-ten draft selections by the Falcons. On April 29, the Falcons picked up the fifth-year option for their 2021 first-round pick, tight end Kyle Pitts.
Pitts was selected with the fourth overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft. Pitts was the highest-selected tight end ever. He was just the second tight end ever to be selected in the first five picks. Pitts signed a fully guaranteed four-year, $32.9 million rookie contract with the Falcons.
As with all first-round contracts, the deal came with a fifth-year option. With the May 2 deadline to pick up the option looming, the Falcons made their decision.
Pitts’ Potential Contract Extension
The 23-year-old tight end will be playing his fourth season as a pro in 2024. With the option being picked up the Falcons have until the start of his fifth season in 2025 to offer him an extension.
“Now, per league rules, the Falcons can offer Pitts a contract extension before his fifth season (2025) since they did not do so before his fourth,” wrote AtlantaFalcons.com’s Terrin Waack. “A recent example of this in action can be seen in what the Falcons did with offensive lineman Chris Lindstrom. He was their No. 14 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. The Falcons picked up his fifth-year option in 2022 and then offered him a contract extension in 2023. He’s now contracted with the team through 2028.”
Pitts’ contract is currently the 12th-highest valued amongst tight ends, according to Spotrac. He will earn $10.878 million in his option year, according to NBC Sport’s Josh Alper.
Expectations for Pitts in 2024
Pitts came into the league with high expectations due to his position and how the Falcons selected him. As a rookie, he had 68 receptions for 1,026 yards and a touchdown. He was selected to the Pro Bowl and played in all 17 games.
However, since then the Falcons’ uncertainty at quarterback and injuries have slowed Pitts down. Pitts suffered a season-ending injury in 2022 and had a down year statistically in 2023, largely due to inconsistent quarterback play. Still, the Falcons view Pitts as a difference-maker and hope for a big year out of him.
“He’s the mayor of Atlanta,” Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said in March at the Annual League Meetings, according to Waack. “I think he wants to come back and have a highly productive year. I think he is excited about his partnership with some of the guys that we’ve brought in.”
The Falcons signed Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract in free agency. Cousins, 35, tore his Achilles in 2023, but will likely bring consistency to the quarterback position in 2024.
“The hope is Cousins will return consistency to the quarterback position for the first time since — arguably — Pitts was drafted. Since Pitts joined, he has worked with four different starting quarterbacks: Matt Ryan, Marcus Mariota, Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke,” wrote Waack.
Cousins was selected to three Pro Bowls during his time with the Minnesota Vikings and could be a huge boost to Pitts and the entire Falcons offense.
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