The Atlanta Falcons are staying in the Kyle Pitts business. Five years after making Pitts the highest-drafted tight end in NFL history, the Falcons on Tuesday re-signed the 6-foot-6, 250-pounder to a three-year, $54 million contract extension, according to his agency.
Pitts is now the third-highest-paid tight end in the NFL in terms of average annual value at $18 million, behind the San Francisco 49ers’ George Kittle ($19.1 million) and the Arizona Cardinals’ Trey McBride ($19 million).
An extension for Pitts, 25, was not a foregone conclusion at the beginning of the offseason.
First-year general manager Ian Cunningham placed the franchise tag on Pitts in February, which locked in the tight end to play this season on a one-year, $15 million deal, but Cunningham never ruled out the possibility of trading Pitts if the right offer came along. However, first-year Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski expressed optimism about Pitts’ potential in his offense.
“Kyle is working like crazy, takes coaching. Obviously, the physical skill set is obvious on the field,” Stefanski said recently. “We’re asking him to do a couple of new things. As players continue in their careers, you want to find out, ‘What else is in there?’ What can we help them with? Kyle’s been outstanding in that regard. He’s trying to be the best version of himself.
“He’s had some great, great, great moments in his career, and we’re trying to build off those.”
In his first five seasons with the Falcons, Pitts showed flashes of the talent that caused ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper to label him the No. 2 prospect in the 2021 NFL Draft class behind only quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Pitts, the No. 4 pick, delivered a then-NFL tight end rookie record 1,026 receiving yards in his first season and had 928 yards with a career-high 88 receptions and five touchdowns last season, but the three years in between were rocky.
Pitts suffered an MCL injury in 2022 that seemed to linger into 2023, and he averaged 542 yards and three touchdown catches from 2022 to 2024.
However, since being drafted, Pitts is still fourth in the NFL among tight ends, with 3,579 receiving yards, and is coming off a solid season that he is hoping to build on.
“You never arrive,” Pitts said near the end of the season. “Each year you keep getting better. I’m on the younger side, so there’s a lot of growing to do.”
To that end, Pitts said the new coaching staff is helping him evolve his game.
“I’d say they are adding more tools to my toolbox,” Pitts said recently. “(They’re) letting me do a couple more things in terms of route-running and schematically and to be an asset in this offense.”
The Falcons have now locked up Pitts and star wide receiver Drake London this offseason. Next on their to-do list could be running back Bijan Robinson.