Kyle Pitts Contract Extension: Less Of A Gamble Than It Appears

The Falcons made Kyle Pitts one of the highest paid tight ends in the league yesterday, handing him a three-year, $54 million contract extension. The $18 million AAV places him only behind George Kittle and Trey McBride in terms of average annual value, probably a fair assessment if basing things solely on what happened last season.

Pitts was arguably the second best tight end in the sport in 2025. He stayed healthy, playing in all 17 games, catching a career-high 88 balls with five touchdowns and finishing just shy of 1,000 yards receiving on his way to second-team All-Pro honors. It might have been the best season of his entire career, even above his rookie campaign when he eclipsed 1,000 yards and set the Falcons franchise rookie record for receiving.

But we can’t base things solely off one season. For the most part, Kyle Pitts has been a massive disappointment. He was touted as a unicorn prospect in a loaded draft class that saw a plethora of perennial All-Pros drafted right behind him. Pitts was supposed to be chasing tight end receiving records, not happy about finishing a campaign with 928 yards, most of which came without Drake London on the field.

From 2022-2024, Pitts never caught for more than 667 yards in a season and eclipsed 50 catches just once. He was an average tight end at best, but some context has to be added.

Pitts suffered a knee injury during the 2022 campaign, and it was something that clearly hampered him in the seasons that followed. Last year was the first time he looked fully healthy since his rookie year. Additionally, the quarterback play in Atlanta has been abysmal. It’s hard to have much success as a second option when the organization has been playing musical chairs under center from the moment he was drafted.

With this deal, the Falcons are saying they believe Kyle Pitts can be a true #2 receiving threat, and that the circumstances prior to last season were more responsible for his struggles than his talent itself.

That’s probably a more than fair assessment, but not something the Falcons should be taking a $50+ million gamble on.

But that’s the thing… they aren’t.

NFL contracts are all about how they are structured, and this extension is essentially for one year. Only $36 million of the deal is guaranteed, and the Falcons were already on the hook for about $16 million this season if Pitts played under the franchise tag. Atlanta was going to pay that regardless, and they are now essentially guaranteeing one extra year with an easy out in the third year if Pitts doesn’t live up to expectations.

When put that way, it is a lot more palatable. And it’s important to remember — Kyle Pitts was among the youngest players in his draft class. Despite the fact he’s played five NFL seasons, he’ll only be 26 years old next season. A strong argument could be made that Pitts’ best football is in front of him. That’s what the Falcons are banking on with this vote of confidence.

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(Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire)