The Atlanta Falcons have had a lot of work to do this offseason, and you can make an argument that the team still needs to settle star tight end Kyle Pitts‘ contract situation. After the front office placed the franchise tag on him, the expectation was that it would eventually sign him to a long-term contract extension before the 2026 campaign.
Pitts recently put pen to paper on his franchise tag, locking him into a one-year, $15.045 million contract for the upcoming campaign. The Falcons can still negotiate a new deal with Pitts, but according to a new report, it sounds like the team isn’t exactly in a rush to give him a big-money contract, which could make the upcoming season very important for the talented pass catcher.
Falcons Not in a Rush to Hand Kyle Pitts a Long-Term Contract
Pitts was one of the more intriguing free agents this offseason, but Atlanta didn’t give him a chance to skip town by placing the franchise tag on him. Through his first five seasons, Pitts has struggled to emerge as a consistent producer, but he has the talent to be one of the most productive tight ends in the game when he is utilized properly.
The Falcons got a glimpse of that in 2025 when Pitts racked up a career-high 88 receptions for 928 yards and five touchdowns. With Kevin Stefanski, who loves to get his tight ends involved in the passing game, taking over as the team’s new head coach, it wasn’t much of a surprise to see the Falcons go out of their way to keep Pitts in town.
While a band-aid has been slapped on his contract situation for now, the expectation was always that Pitts would eventually receive a new long-term deal at some point this offseason. However, now that he has officially signed his franchise tag, it doesn’t sound like the front office is going to give him the sort of big-money deal he’s looking for before the start of the upcoming season.
“It is possible that the team ends up with a long-term deal for Pitts, but certainly, there are several priorities on this roster, including Bijan Robinson, including Drake London,” Ian Rapoport of NFL Network said on “Good Morning Football.” It is possible that Kyle Pitts plays this out and ends up cashing in next year.”
Falcons May Push Kyle Pitts Decision Off Until Next Offseason
GettyAtlanta Falcons TE Kyle Pitts.
In essence, Atlanta is treating Pitts’ one-year contract as a prove-it deal. At $15 million, Pitts will receive a rate in 2026 that he feels is fair, and the Falcons will get a chance to see how he looks in Stefanski’s offense before deciding on his future. If Pitts balls out, the front office could be costing itself quite a bit of money, but it will gladly pay him if he finally manages to reach his potential.
With Bijan Robinson and Drake London also leading the way on offense, Atlanta has a top-tier crew of playmakers; it just needs an answer at quarterback. The Falcons will be hoping to receive some sort of consistent play under center from either Michael Penix Jr. or Tua Tagovailoa, because if they can figure out things at that position, they could emerge as a dark-horse contender to win the NFC South division.
Kyle Pitts Receives Falcons Contract Update After Signing $15 Million Deal