Former Gators TE Kyle Pitts Makes NFL History with Latest Contract

Former Gators tight end Kyle Pitts etched himself as one of Florida's best offensive weapons of all time across a three-year career from 2018-20.

Former Gators tight end Kyle Pitts etched himself as one of Florida's best offensive weapons of all time across a three-year career from 2018-20. | Brad McClenny via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Former Florida Gators tight end Kyle Pitts, with the Atlanta Falcons, made history on Tuesday, signing the largest three-year contract for a tight end in NFL history, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported. Pitts and the Falcons agreed to a deal worth $54 million over three years. 

That is not the first time Pitts has made history in his career. When the Falcons selected him with the fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft, he became the highest-drafted tight end in NFL history. 

BREAKING: A Record-Breaking Contract Extension for Kyle Pitts

READ MORE: https://t.co/CvQgrXqzFo pic.twitter.com/dcK9rRsV0o

— Atlanta Falcons On SI (@FalconsSI) June 23, 2026

The former Gators pass catcher has had an up-and-down five years in Atlanta. Despite bursting onto the scene with the Falcons in 2021, his impact on the team dropped dramatically over the next three seasons before he had a strong 2025 campaign. 

He posted 1,026 receiving yards and one touchdown on 68 total catches as a rookie in 2021. His 1,026 receiving yards are good enough for third all-time in NFL history for rookie tight ends, with only Chicago Bears legend Mike Ditka and Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers finishing with a higher number. 

However, thanks to inconsistency and injuries, Pitts’ production plummeted in 2022. He played in 10 games that year, logging 28 receptions for 356 yards and two touchdowns. 

He did slightly improve his output in the 2023 and 2024 seasons, but not to the level of a former No. 4 overall pick. Pitts made 53 catches for 667 yards and three touchdowns in 2023 and followed that up with 47 more catches for 602 yards and four more scores in 2024. 

Pitts appears to have refound his first-year form, though, having a resurgence on the field this past season. He led all Falcons in receiving yards in 2025, posting 928 yards and five touchdowns on 88 receptions. 

Pitts' Path to the NFL

It is easy to see why Pitts came off the board as quickly as he did in the 2021 NFL Draft. Despite only making a meaningful impact for the Gators in two seasons, he developed into the country's most dangerous tight end by the end of his college career. 

In 2019, Pitts played in 12 games, totaling 54 catches for 649 yards and five touchdowns. Then, in a shortened season as a junior in 2020, he posted 770 yards and 12 touchdowns on 43 catches in eight games. His 12 scores set the school record for single-season touchdowns by a tight end. 

Seems like a good time for some Kyle Pitts college highlights pic.twitter.com/lssXnLUpXZ

— College Football Zone (@CollegeFBonX) December 12, 2025

Additionally, he finished 10th in the Heisman Trophy race in 2020, won the Mackey Award and became the eighth Gator to earn unanimous first-team All-American honors. 

By the end of his Florida career, Pitts finished with 1,492 receiving yards, which marked him as the program's all-time leader for receiving yards by a tight end. His 100 career receptions also place him second in program history for a tight end.

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