Former Florida tight end Kyle Pitts has signed the largest three-year contract extension for a tight end in NFL history.
Pitts signed a three-year, $54-million contract to remain with the Atlanta Falcons, the organization that drafted him No. 4 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. He becomes the third-highest paid tight end in the NFL, trailing only San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle and Arizona's Trey McBridge in annual compensation.
Highest paid TEs in per year average:
🏈George Kittle: $19.1M
🏈Trey McBride: $19M
🏈Kyle Pitts: $18M
🏈Isaiah Likely: $13.333M
🏈Mark Andrews: $13.089M https://t.co/yrquZlXCfY
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 23, 2026
The 6-foot-6 native of Philadelphia and his representation negotiated a new contract after the Falcons tagged Pitts with a franchise tender this offseason after his rookie contract and fifth-year option expired.
Pitts is coming off arguably the most productive season of his NFL career, though his rookie season has a case to be his best thus far, when Pitts recorded 1,026 receiving yards on 68 receptions.
In 2025, Pitts recorded a career-best 88 receptions for 928 yards and found the end zone five times, resulting in Pitts being named a second-team selection to the All-Pro team at season's end. In Week 15, in a one-point victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Pitts became the first tight end since Shannon Sharpe in 1996 to have at least 150 receiving yards and three touchdowns in a game.
While Pitts' contract extension seemed to be a given after his All-Pro season, it wasn't guaranteed Pitts would remain in Atlanta after the franchise fired head coach Raheem Morris along with general manager Terry Fontenot, who drafted Pitts. The Falcons hired head coach Kevin Stefanski, general manager Ian Cunningham and president of football Matt Ryan in the aftermath of the 2025 season.
Following a voluntary organized team activity, Pitts expressed the franchise tag was an indication the organization wanted him to remain in Atlanta rather than a negative as he sought a new deal.
"I took the positive in it and taking a chance and [it's] basically kind of like my fifth-year option, but it's a sixth-year option," Pitts said last week. "And it's a blessing to be able to get that year and them not say, 'Well, you can go test the market,' or whatever. They just trust you that we see something in you and it's pretty cool to see. It's a new year and ... I'm not worried about it."
Pitts' rise at Florida was swift, as he he took over as the starting tight end in 2019 after serving as the team's backup at the position as a true freshman. Pitts played in all 13 games his sophomore season at Florida in 2019 and finished the year with 54 receptions for 649 yards and 5 touchdowns, resulting in Pitts being named First-Team All-SEC.
During the 10-game SEC slate during the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign, Pitts recorded 12 touchdowns in eight games while gaining 770 yards on 43 receptions, resulting in Pitts being named a unanimous All-American and the John Mackey Award winner, given to the most outstanding tight end in college football for the season.
Now, Pitts heads into his sixth season at the professional level with not just a new deal: he's now the third-highest paid tight end in the NFL ahead of the 2026 season.