Kyle Pitts
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Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts.
The Baltimore Ravens, with 2 tight ends being used in their offense, have shown they can be as elite as any offense in the NFL.
With tight end Mark Andrews locked down on a 3-year, $39 million contract extension and the other tight end in the mix, Isaiah Likely, out the door to the New York Giants on a 3-year, $40 million free-agent contract, that means the Ravens still have room for a tight end.
In that case, why not get 1 of the best tight ends in the NFL?
Last Word on Sports listed the Ravens as 1 of the “Best Fits” for Atlanta Falcons NFL All-Pro tight end Kyle Pitts, a popular trade target in recent years.
Pitts, 6-foot-6 and 250 pounds, is the highest-drafted tight end in NFL history when the Falcons selected him with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft. He earned NFL All-Pro honors for the 1st time in 2025 but was also a Pro Bowler as a rookie.
From LWOS: “The Ravens are rebuilding as well, but they’re not far off from another postseason run. The team snuck itself into a wild-card led by John Harbaugh, who was ultimately fired due to inconsistencies. After letting Isaiah Likely hit the market, the Ravens might’ve retained Mark Andrews, but it probably won’t stop Jesse Minter from getting Pitts to strengthen the pass-game for Lamar Jackson.”
Falcons Stopped Kyle Pitts From Testing Market
The Falcons placed a 1-year, $15.045 million franchise tag on Pitts on February 24 for the upcoming 2026 season. Pitts’ projected market value is a 4-year, $43.6 million contract extension, which might be a tad low.
Think more along the lines of a 4-year, $50 million extension if the Ravens wanted to try and sign him to a long-term deal, although depending on the compensation, that move projects more as a 1-year rental that could benefit both sides.
ESPN’s Matt Bowen had Pitts as the No. 23 overall free agent in the 2026 cycle before the Falcons placed the franchise tag on him in in February.
“Pitts will have options in free agency after he set career highs for receptions (88) and touchdowns (five) in 2025, but I still see a strong fit if he stays put in Atlanta under new coach Kevin Stefanski,” Bowen wrote on February 17. “With heavily defined concepts, Stefanski can set up Pitts to attack open coverage voids off play-action and also create isolation matchups.”
Succession of Terrible Falcons Quarterbacks
Playing with 2 different, erratic starting quarterbacks in Michael Penix Jr. and Kirk Cousins in 2025 didn’t stop Pitts, who had 88 receptions for 928 yards and 5 touchdowns on the way to earning NFL All-Pro honors for the first time.
It was his best season since he had 68 receptions for 1,028 yards and 1 touchdown in a Pro Bowl rookie season in 2021. The former Mackey Award winner, who ran the 40-yard dash in 4.40 seconds at the NFL scouting combine, might actually be the NFL’s best tight end were he allowed to play with an elite NFL quarterback.
Fortunately for the Ravens — and Pitts — they have just that in Jackson, a 2-time NFL MVP who is coming off his worst season as an NFL starter and will be eager to show why he’s still 1 of the league’s best players.