Kyle Pitts will play the 2026 season on a $15 million franchise tag, but even before the season begins, he has already landed a major payday.

The Atlanta Falcons agreed to a three-year, $54 million extension on Tuesday, June 23, making him the NFL's third-highest-paid tight end.

According to ESPN, $36 million of the $54 million contract is fully guaranteed, making it one of the most lucrative deals for a tight end in recent memory. With the paperwork done, both parties have until July 15 to agree on the deal.

It was later confirmed by The NFL Spotlight host, Ari Meirov, who posted on X on June 23.

Pitts enjoyed a breakout campaign last season, which is why first-year general manager Ian Cunningham placed the franchise tag on him in February. The tight end hauled in 88 receptions for 928 yards and five touchdowns, earning Second-Team All-Pro honours.

Through five seasons with the Falcons, Pitts has recorded 284 receptions for 3,579 yards and 15 touchdowns in 78 games. That said, the Falcons' head office expects him to produce the same numbers this year as well.

"Kyle is working like crazy and takes coaching. Obviously, the physical skill set is obvious on the field,” Atlanta head coach Kevin Stefanski said as per The Athletic. “We’re asking him to do a couple of new things.

Pitts has been remarkably consistent in recent years. The last major injury he suffered came during the 2022 season when he tore his MCL, but he bounced back strongly the following year.

Despite that setback, Pitts still ranks fourth among NFL tight ends with 3,579 career receiving yards.

“I’d say they are adding more tools to my toolbox,” Pitts said recently when asked about the new coaches per The Athletic. “(They’re) letting me do a couple more things in terms of route-running and schematically and to be an asset in this offense.”

That said, despite the Falcons finally committing to their tight end, the community may not be too pleased with how much they spent.

Falcons fans can’t agree on Kyle Pitts’ contract extension value

According to ESPN, if Pitts signs the contract before the July 15 deadline, then he will have the NFL's third-highest-paid tight end. He will land just behind the San Francisco 49ers' George Kittle's $19.1 million per year contract and the Arizona Cardinals' Trey McBride's $19 million per year contract.

Looking at the deal, one fan commented, “Gracious. This feels overpaid or paid based on college draft status. Maybe I'm wrong though. Can't say I watch a ton of Falcons games.”

The fan thinks the contract may be influenced by Pitts being the No. 4 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft

Another fan doubled down, saying, “His talent makes this worth it, but the inconsistency can make this an overpay, over time.” Back in 2022, he recorded only 28 receptions for 356 yards.

One fan believed Atlanta might have used all of its cap money, saying, “Looks like Atlanta’s wallet just got a workout, hope the new RB can keep up with that spending spree.”

There was some appreciation from another fan who believes that the team just needs a good QB now, “Now all they need is a QB with knees and no CTE.”

Racking up a career-high 88 receptions in 2025 and a contract extension in hand, Pitts walks into the 2026 season with a high bar.

What are your thoughts on the recent extension? Let us know in the comments.

Read more at Cleveland Browns Community.

Written by

Suryakant Das

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar