Falcons Place Franchise Tag on Tight End Kyle Pitts
The Atlanta Falcons plan to use the franchise tag on tight end Kyle Pitts Sr., a move that will likely keep the rising star under contract with the team for at least the 2026 season, a source told ESPN on Monday.
The franchise tag will pay Pitts approximately $16,319,000 for the 2026 season, according to OverTheCap.com. The Falcons and Pitts now have until July 15 to negotiate a long-term contract extension. If an agreement isn’t reached by then, Pitts will play the 2026 season under the terms of the franchise tag.
The deadline for all NFL teams to utilize the franchise or transition tag is next Tuesday, with the free agency period beginning shortly thereafter.
Pitts, 25, experienced a significant resurgence in 2025, finishing second among all NFL tight ends in both receptions (88) and receiving yards (928). He trailed only Trey McBride of the Arizona Cardinals in those categories. He also achieved a career-high with five touchdown catches and earned AP second-team All-Pro honors.
His standout performance in 2025 included a particularly impressive game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in December, where he recorded 11 catches for 166 yards and three touchdowns. This made him the first tight end since Shannon Sharpe in 1996 to achieve at least 150 receiving yards and three touchdowns in a single game.
Pitts’ 2025 success marked a strong recovery after facing challenges with injuries and inconsistency from 2022 through 2024. He had initially burst onto the scene as a rookie in 2021, becoming the first tight end since Mike Ditka in 1961 to surpass 1,000 receiving yards in his first NFL season. He also earned a Pro Bowl selection that year.
The Falcons’ decision to utilize the franchise tag on Pitts comes after significant changes within the organization. Matt Ryan, Pitts’ quarterback during his impressive rookie season, is now the team’s president of football operations. Ryan spearheaded the hiring of Kevin Stefanski as the new head coach and Ian Cunningham as the general manager. Stefanski, formerly the head coach of the Cleveland Browns, is known for his offensive schemes that heavily feature tight ends.
Stefanski’s previous offenses, including those in Cleveland, consistently prioritized the tight end position, utilizing players like Harold Fannin, David Njoku, Harrison Bryant, and Austin Hooper extensively. This suggests a strategic intent to continue leveraging tight ends within the Falcons’ offensive system.
Pitts has faced some adversity in recent years, including a torn MCL in 2022 and a period of quarterback instability, having played with six different quarterbacks – Ryan, Marcus Mariota, Desmond Ridder, Taylor Heinicke, Kirk Cousins, and Michael Penix Jr. – over the past five seasons. Despite these challenges, his 2025 performance demonstrated his potential as a key offensive weapon.
The Falcons originally drafted Pitts with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, recognizing his unique combination of size, speed, and playmaking ability.
