The Atlanta Falcons ensured Kyle Pitts would be around for at least one more season, using the franchise tag on their former first-round pick.
Speaking on SiriusXM NFL Radio recently, new general manager Ian Cunninham said the decision was about the desire to fully evaluate Pitts under the new brass.
“When you come into this role — I think I was hired Jan. 29 and free agency comes March 11 — there’s a lot of decisions to be made and you don’t want a player of Kyle’s caliber to be able to leave and hit the open market,” he said. “So we use the mechanisms that we have in place, like the free agent tag, to give us a little more time to evaluate and get to know him, and the rest of the team. So to be able to get him under the franchise tag, that lets you know how we feel about him and feel like he has a bright future in this league.”
What the label really says: We’re playing it by ear.
The $15.045 million tight end franchise tag is significant cheddar for a Falcons club without a ton of cap space. The figure makes Pitts the fifth-highest paid TE in the NFL based on annual value. He has been way below that in consistent production.
The No. 4 overall pick in 2021, Pitts came out of the gate flying, earning 1,026 yards in his rookie season. He struggled mightily over the next three seasons, never reaching the 675-yard mark in any campaign. In 2025, TE picked himself up with a strong finish to his season. His 88 receptions and his 5 receptions in 2025 were both career highs. He fell just shy of the 1,000-yard mark and finished the season with 928.
The stretch run showed what Pitts can be at his best — a matchup nightmare in space, able to run away from linebackers and a big safety in the passing game. However, his struggle against obstacles is significant and he has had problems. This is no small concern for a player making $15 million.
The franchise is giving Cunningham, manager Matt Ryan and new coach Kevin Stefanski a year to see if Pitts can finally put together a productive season. If he can, they’ll be in line to extend him next year for big money. If not, the club will continue clean.
Even with keeping Pitts, the Falcons head into free agency and still need to add more receiving weapons and bolster the TE room, especially with someone who can better handle the blocking assignments the position demands in Stefanski’s offense.