What Kyle Pitts’ New Contract Means for Falcons Moving Forward

Just three weeks removed from making their first major financial commitment of the offseason, Ian Cunningham and the Atlanta Falcons made their second – but it wasn’t the way that many expected it to go. Most expected running back Bijan Robinson to land the next big deal, but the Falcons instead agreed to an extension with tight end Kyle Pitts Sr.

Pitts, who only turned 25 in October despite having completed five seasons in the NFL, is still only entering the prime years of his career. He enjoyed his best season in 2025, earning his first All-Pro election in the process, but the Falcons clearly believe his best years are still ahead of him.

The former No. 4 overall pick has faced plenty of criticism throughout his short career, whether for his production or his perceived willingness to be a blocker. Questions of what his ceiling could potentially be were quieted over the second half of last season, but they will persist until he can show more consistency.

He has struggled with uncertainty under center, and he has lined up with a new starting quarterback in Week 1 in every season of his career. Despite suffering through both that and a knee injury in 2022, Pitts finds himself at No. 13 in franchise history in receiving yards (No. 4 among tight ends).

But the Falcons’ new head coach, Kevin Stefanski, believes in Pitts, and he is widely recognized for his ability to elevate the position. Stefanski said Pitts was “working like crazy,” and that he will find a prominent role in his offense this season.

“I think there are all sorts of different jobs [Pitts] can do – in-line tight end, line up in the backfield, line up outside,” Stefanski said during minicamp about Pitts’ role this season. “I think it comes back to that versatility piece. And I think you've seen that from Kyle in his career.

“It's not putting Kyle in positions that he hasn't been in already, but it's quarter-turn adjusting a few of them and maybe utilizing a few different route techniques, if you will. But he's proven to be a good football player in this league.”

His physical traits have always been obvious – 6-foot-6, 250 pounds, and speed that would be the envy of nearly every tight end in the NFL. His athletic ability and sheer upside are enough to make any play-caller salivate. However, he is still learning how to be that player consistently, and Cunningham sees Stefanski as the coach who can get it out of him.

“I think Kyle is going to be a big piece of this thing,” passing game coordinator Tanner Engstrand explained of Pitts. “He's clearly one of the top guys in the league at that spot, and hopefully, we see a lot more of what we saw last year out of him, and he can continue that upward trend.”

The Falcons’ new deal with Pitts makes him the third-highest paid tight end in NFL history (in terms of average annual value, with $18 million), and is the largest ever three-year deal for a tight end ($54 million, with $36 million in guarantees). Robinson, meanwhile, is expected to reset the running back market with a deal somewhere in the range of $21 million per year.

After this deal and the one Drake London inked to start the month, the Falcons could end up paying more than $74 million in guarantees for just three players after extending Robinson (or 24% of the 2026 salary cap).

That’s expensive, but especially when you consider how the team is paying just $4.42 million for their quarterback room this season. If Tua Tagovailoa, who is currently on the veteran minimum, wins the job and plays well, then he would be due a sizeable new deal. Michael Penix Jr., who is quickly running out of time on his rookie deal, is owed a fifth-year option decision next offseason that would cost upwards of $25-30 million.

Soon, the Falcons would find themselves running out of money to spend. At the same time, they need to consider deals for several more players, including linebacker Divine Deablo, left guard Matthew Bergeron, safety Jessie Bates III, center Ryan Neuzil, and defensive lineman Zach Harrison, all of whom are entering the final year of their respective deals.

With an ever-increasing salary cap, the Falcons are not in an impossible situation, but they will need to be creative with their next moves.

“They trust that they see something in [me], and that's pretty cool to see," Pitts said in reference to his franchise tag during OTAs. “[But] it's a new year. It's already signed, and it's going to be a good year.”

Pitts is locked in. Robinson's deal is next. After that, the Falcons will need to figure out how to keep building a contender on what's left.

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