The Atlanta Falcons made some huge headlines this week when they signed tight end Kyle Pitts to a significant extension which makes him among the highest-paid in the entire NFL at the position.

After the team picked up his fifth-year option last year and franchise tagged him this year, it was clear Pitts was valued in Atlanta, but now we know just how much that is indeed the case. The new coaching staff has heaped a ton of praise on his potential impact in numerous areas on the field, and the organization has backed that up with a $54 million deal over three years.

While most fans were fairly thrilled to see Pitts staying with the Falcons long term, not every analyst thought it was smart. During an appearance on ESPN's NFL Live, Booger McFarland questioned why Pitts is deserving of a large contract despite not fully living up to massive expectations stemming back to when he was drafted at No. 8 overall back in 2021.

"I like the deal, I don't love the deal," McFarland began. "I think he's earned the right to get a new contract. Let's not forget, this contract pays you for what you are gonna do, not what you've already done. I don’t love it because I don’t think the player has lived up to what we thought he was gonna be. We thought he was gonna be this matchup nightmare that was gonna revolutionize the league...he just hasn't been that just yet."

To his credit, McFarland went on to praise the career season that Pitts had in 2025 and thinks he is a very good player, but is still unsure of whether or not he is deserving of a contract that made him one of the highest paid tight ends in the league.

This point may have been valid, but the Jacksonville Jaguars erased any relevance on the same day when they signed Brenton Strange to a three-year deal worth $48 million. Strange has been a productive player in his own right, but the numbers are nowhere near what Pitts has put up.

If that's the going rate at tight end, the Falcons got Pitts for an absolute steal. He is going to have to prove it this year with another great season, but based on how giddy Kevin Stefanski and the coaching staff seem to be that he's a part of this offense, chances are that is going to be the case.