Falcons wanted more time to evaluate Kyle Pitts. It led them to a big commitment

FLOWERY BRANCH — After the Falcons placed the franchise tag on tight end Kyle Pitts Sr. in late February, first-year general manager Ian Cunningham said the move offered the team “a little bit more time to evaluate the situation moving forward” surrounding Pitts’ long-term future.

Less than four months later, the Falcons evidently finished their evaluation on Pitts with a firm belief he’s an integral part of their organization, dishing out the largest three-year contract for a tight end in NFL history.

The Falcons agreed to a three-year, $54 million contract extension with Pitts on Tuesday, his agency, Athletes First, announced on social media. The deal, which keeps Pitts under contract through 2028, includes $36 million guaranteed over the next two years and makes him the third highest-paid tight end in the league with an $18 million annual salary.

There is, naturally, risk attached to any deal. Pitts is no different, if not a bit more than other high-cost deals.

He’s delivered tremendous highs on the bookends of his career — the second-most receiving yards by a rookie tight end in NFL history in 2021 and ranking 10th in the league with 88 catches last season — but battled injuries and inconsistency the three years in between.

The Falcons are betting on Pitts’ strong finish to 2025, during which he caught 39 passes for 469 yards and four touchdowns over the final six games, carrying into 2026.

They could’ve made that bet in February. But now, four months into working with Pitts, they’re more comfortable taking a big swing.

Pitts and new coach Kevin Stefanski quickly formed a potent relationship. Both hail from Philadelphia and swapped hometown stories. They share a passion for golf, too, and bonded over the sport. And Stefanski, once a tight ends coach in the earlier part of his career, is a self-proclaimed aficionado of the position.

The Falcons knew the extent of Pitts’ talent and potential from the five years of film he’s put together since arriving as the highest-drafted tight end in league history. But Stefanski said the No. 4 overall pick in 2021 has proven to be a “great young man,” too.

Still only 25 years old, Pitts has taken on a larger leadership role this spring. Offensive coordinator Tommy Rees touted his buy-in and willingness to push others around him. Tight ends coach Kevin Koger said he’s had conversations with Pitts about leading and being a meteor this spring — something they hadn’t done in years past.

And Pitts, entering his sixth NFL season, has impressed the Falcons’ coaching staff with his work ethic this summer.

“Kyle’s a guy that is here working like crazy,” Stefanski said during OTAs. “Takes coaching. The physical skillset is obvious when Kyle’s on the field, with how big he is and how he moves. But I’ve been impressed with what we’re asking him to do, a couple new things for him.

“As your players continue on in their career, you want to find out more, what else is in there and what else can we do, and what can we help you with. So I think Kyle’s been outstanding in that regard of trying to continue to get better in so many areas.”

Stefanski added Pitts has delivered “some great, great, great moments in his young career,” and the Falcons are trying to build off those.

Through 78 games, the former University of Florida star has 284 receptions for 3,579 yards and 15 scores. Among tight ends since 2021, he ranks fourth in receiving yards, eighth in catches and is tied for 16th in touchdowns.

The dilemma Pitts has faced, however, is stringing together consistent production. He had eight games last season alone with less than 40 receiving yards, but he made seven or more catches in six other contests.

But such statistical inconsistency — a trend throughout Pitts’ career — isn’t always controlled by him, Koger said.

“You’re just controlled by the way the game is played, how the game plan is constructed,” Koger told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution during OTAs. “Sometimes he may be first in the progression. Defense takes it away. Quarterback has to progress. Maybe that play was designed to go to him, but the way they played on defense didn’t allow him to get the football there.

“So, not all the time is on him. We take complete ownership in our group and what we do. There’s always things we can do better, but sometimes the play, offense, defense doesn’t dictate the ball going to him. So, sometimes it’s the way the ball bounces.”

Pitts has plenty of ingredients to deliver a strong 2026 season. Despite a new head coach and new system, he has the same position coach in Koger and a staff that emphasizes using tight ends.

Last season, the Falcons ranked second in the NFL in percentage of plays run from 12 personnel, with two tight ends on the field. The team ahead of them? The Browns, led by Stefanski and Rees.

Stefanski likes the position because of its versatility. When tight ends can align on the outside, in the backfield or in a traditional in-line setting, it makes life difficult for opposing defenses.

There are few, if any, tight ends across the league who better fit the description than Pitts.

“Kyle’s a good football player,” Stefanski said during minicamp. “I think there’s all sorts of different jobs he can do. In-line tight end, line up in the backfield, line up outside. 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 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.”

Pitts hasn’t always produced at the level worthy of a top-three contract among tight ends, but he’s certainly had stretches where he’s looked the part.

This Falcons’ regime — one that includes president of football Matt Ryan, who threw passes to Pitts in 2021 and holds a close relationship with him — believes it can bring out the dominant, explosive version of Pitts more often moving forward.

It’s easy to forget, too, about Pitts’ youth. He’s still an ascending player, one whose physical and athletic prime is still out the front windshield.

The Falcons are placing an emphasis on locking up their young playmakers. They inked receiver Drake London to a four-year, $141 million contract in early June, and running back Bijan Robinson appears next on the list.

Quarterback questions — most significant is whether a long-term answer is present on the roster — persist, but the Falcons are ensuring they have weapons for the foreseeable future.

And the Falcons believe Pitts is correctly wired to keep pushing for a better version of himself.

“I can get pretty passionate about this, but Kyle cares a lot, and people don’t realize how much the game means to him,” Koger said. “You want guys that have a high care factor, and he’s right at the top of that list.”

During OTAs, Pitts was asked about contract negotiations and whether he wanted to stay with the Falcons long term. His response?