The Atlanta Falcons announced on Monday that the team will exercise their fifth-year option rights for former first-round TE Kyle Pitts. The team announced their decision with just three days to go before the deadline. Now, they’ll owe him approximately $10.878 million for the 2025 season, which is his fifth-year option value as a one-time Pro Bowl tight end.
After a rookie season with over 1,000 receiving yards on 110 targets, Pitts’ looks and subsequent catches decreased. He had just 59 targets, 28 receptions and 356 yards with two touchdowns in 10 games while the Falcons went 7-10 in 2022. The Falcons appeared to make a concerted effort to boost his role in the offense in 2023. He then posted 59 catches on 90 targets for 667 yards and three touchdowns. Still, the team finished 7-10.
Despite still clearly being an asset for Atlanta, Pitts’ production levels haven’t quite met fans’ expectations. In his final year with the Florida Gators, he had 12 touchdown catches, which is double his three-year NFL total. The Falcons drafted the tight end with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft after that performance for Florida. He was the highest-drafted tight end in NFL history.
In his fourth year in the league, the former Gators star will pair up with former Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins. Cousins signed a mega-deal with Atlanta this offseason, despite coming off of an Achilles tear in Week 8. The veteran QB isn’t the only possible option for the Falcons this season. Raising numerous eyebrows, the team also snagged former Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. at No. 8 overall this weekend.
Falcons draft QB Michael Penix Jr. in Round 1
Atlanta, fresh off giving Cousins a four-year, $180 million deal this offseason, had other pressing needs such as outside linebacker but decided to grab a quarterback for the future. ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper, though he believes the pick was a reach, sees a possible win-win scenario for the Falcons.
“If Kirk Cousins coming off the injury isn’t the same at age 36, you turn the page and go to Michael Penix Jr.,” Kiper said. “Then what does Michael Penix Jr. become? The win-win here is if Kirk Cousins develops big time, takes you to a Super Bowl, has a big-time year and he shakes off the Achilles [injury] that he had and has a Super Bowl year. And then Michael Penix Jr. takes over in a couple of years and he develops into a great quarterback. That’s a grand slam. So, we have to see Kirk — is he still a plateau and what does Michael Penix Jr. develop into. They put themselves in a position where it could be a win-win.”
The selection of Penix not only caught draft analysts and fans off guard, but reportedly left Cousins “stunned.” According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, Cousins wasn’t informed the team would be taking a quarterback until the Falcons were on the clock.
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