Kyle Pitts is about to spend a sixth season in Atlanta. The veteran tight end is in position to receive the franchise tag, as first reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
Pitts won’t reach the market based on today’s news. As an alternative of testing free agency for the primary time in his profession, Pitts will remain with the Falcons for 2026. The tight end tag is projected to cost $16.32MM, and the team will carry that cost on its cap sheet unless a long-term deal is worked out.
The opportunity of the franchise tag has steadily increased on this case, with Pitts having fun with a robust 2025 season and boosting his market value along the way in which. The previous No. 4 pick set a brand new profession high in receptions (88) and touchdowns (five) this past yr, bouncing back from a highly underwhelming 2022-24 stretch. Pitts has expressed interest in playing in latest head coach Kevin Stefanski‘s offense, and he’ll have the option to accomplish that for no less than one yr. Many across the NFL expected a tag on this instance, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler confirms.
As a rookie, Pitts earned a Pro Bowl nod and topped 1,000 yards. The Florida alum was unable to match expectations beyond that time until his 2025 bounce-back campaign. Questions on inconsistency have been raised, and it’ll be interesting to see if a long-term commitment winds up being made by Atlanta. Recent president of football operations Matt Ryan was once Pitts’ teammate, putting him and the Falcons’ revamped group of decision-makers in an interesting position.
Atlanta is currently slated to have roughly $26.5MM in cap space, with quite a few other priorities on offense to be sorted out this spring. A Kirk Cousins release is amongst them, while wideout Drake London and running back Bijan Robinson are each eligible for extensions. Keeping those two within the fold well beyond 2026 can be costly, especially if a multi-year commitment winds up being made to Pitts. On the age of 25, the second-team All-Pro could command a lucrative pact from Atlanta this yr or outside suitors in 2027 within the event he reaches free agency.
Stefanski’s ability to enhance an offense which ranked just nineteenth in scoring in 2025 can be key. Pitts figures to play a big role in that effort no matter whether or not he agrees to a brand new Falcons pact over the approaching months. July 15 represents the deadline for franchise-tagged players to work out a long-term pact with their respective teams.