Atlanta Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski has decision to make on Kyle Pitts.
Getty
Atlanta Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski has decision to make on Kyle Pitts. Franchise tag?
Like many NFL franchises, the Atlanta Falcons are going through some changes this offseason. After an extremely disappointing 8-9 season in 2025, the Falcons relieved head coach Raheem Morris of his duties and brought in former Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski.
That was, of course, one of the biggest decisions they had to make this offseason. The other being the jettisoning of general manager Terry Fontenot who had been the team’s G.M. since 2021. Replaced by Ian Cunningham in early February, Fontenot’s first draft pick as Falcons’ G.M. brings us to another decision the Falcons are facing this offseason.
What to do with 2021 first-round pick Kyle Pitts? Selected fourth-overall, it was the highest a tight end has ever been drafted. With his athleticism, he had the ability to severely impact games. Except he never really did.
Pitts isn’t a bad player at all and even had a breakout year in his fifth NFL season. But, he’s now and unrestricted free agent and Jason La Canfora of Sports Boom (is that what he’s doing now? Given the odd number of errors in the article, I’m wondering if he’s mailing it in) wonders if the Falcons will franchise Pitts or let him walk to another team.
Will the Atlanta Falcons franchise tight end Kyle Pitts?
La Canfora talked to several NFL executives to get their take on how the Dirty Birds might handle their athletic-but-frustrating tight end. One person is worried about Pitts effort level once he gets a new contract.
“Pitts, a former top pick of the Falcons, is not going to be the dominant tight end he was in college (his blocking receives low marls [sic]), and he failed to make an impact most of his time in Atlanta,” La Canfora writes.
“He didn’t really look like he really wanted it until it was time to get paid,” is how one personnel executive put it, noting Pitts set career highs basically across the board in 2025.
“That’s a big red flag for me.”
The exec is correct in that it did seem like Pitts was pulling an Albert Haynewsorth, the defensive tackle who was famous for dogging it until it was time to get paid.
“Even that exec acknowledged that he would prefer to secure Pitts’s rights for one year at roughly $16M on the tag rather than give him upwards of $40M on the open market potentially,” La Canfora continued.
I would agree. Keep him on the tag so he knows he’s got to bust it again if he really wants to cash in.
The Atlanta Falcons might be only NFL team to use franchise tag
The Falcons could end up being the only NFL team to even use the franchise tag this year. There was a time when the tag (hell, even the transition tag. Is that even around anymore?) was used far more liberally than it is today. But, the Falcons could be in a perfect position to do it with Pitts.
“New Browns coach Kevin Stefanski ran more multiple tight end sets than anyone in the league last year as head coach in Cleveland, which could also prompt a tag,” La Canfora writes.
“As one GM put it: “Even with Stefanski there I’m not sure they do it. But he is the one player we think might get it. The offensive line number is too high, you don’t need to tag a linebacker… Pierce is an ascending player, but that’s a huge number ($28M). I don’t think (Colts GM Chris) Ballard does it.”
“All of the execs I spoke to agreed that this offseason, more so than perhaps any other in recent history, is going to require creative thinking on the trade market, with a dearth of elite players available, especially at the most critical positions (quarterback, edge, left tackle).
“As a second GM put it: “You are going to have a hard time raising your ceiling with this group (of free agents). We’ll be working the phones.”