The Atlanta Falcons know Kyle Pitts is a key piece of the future.
The Atlanta Falcons are making a conscious effort this offseason to retain the core players on the roster from the previous era to help carry them forward into the new era.
First up was Drake London, who received a deal that made him one of the highest-paid wide receivers in football, and now Atlanta has handed out another deal to keep a former high draft pick in the fold for a long period of time after some wild rumors were flying this offseason.
The Falcons franchise tagged tight end Kyle Pitts after picking up his fifth-year option last year, and while some suspected they could try to trade him this summer ahead of the final season under contract, they have instead agreed to an extension.
According to a report from Adam Schefter and others, Atlanta singed Pitts to a three-year, $54 million extension with just under $40 million in guaranteed money, making him the third-highest paid tight end in football at an average of $18 million per season. While the number is big, so is the impact the new staff believes Pitts can have for this offense.
Falcons New Staff Has Praised Pitts Throughout Offseason
While Pitts has not exactly reached the huge potential he had coming out of the draft when he was selected with the No. 8 pick, 2025 was the best season of his career and there have been serious flashes.
Beyond the pass catching numbers though, it seems like Kevin Stefanski has gone out of his way to talk about the impact Pitts can have in areas other than just the passing game and how he is going out of his way to expand his ability to run more routes, become a more versatile player and be able to help the offense in different ways.
That kind of selflessness is exactly the kind of attitude Atlanta needs if it is going to find success in this new era, and this contract is a statement that not only is Pitts a great player with high potential, he's the type of guy the Falcons new regime wants as a building block.
Pitts is going to be around for a long time, and the organization has shown faith that he is a player they are glad to keep around as well as sending the message that hard work will be rewarded.
Now that London and Pitts are locked up, many will turn their focus to Bijan Robinson, and if Atlanta can lock up their tremendous trio all in one offseason, fans would be absolutely thrilled and ready to go for the season.
