Falcons GM seems to confirm Kyle Pitts Sr. decision has been made after franchise-tag deadline

Unlike other teams, the Atlanta Falcons didn't wait until Tuesday's deadline to use their franchise tag to retain the rights to tight end Kyle Pitts Sr. for the 2026 season. 

On Tuesday afternoon, NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated suggested that the Falcons won't look to sign Pitts to a multiyear deal while he's on the tag. During an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio, recently hired Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham seemed to confirm that Breer is correct. 

Falcons want "more time to evaluate" Kyle Pitts Sr.

"When you get in this role -- I think I was hired Jan. 29 and free agency comes up March 11 -- there's a lot of decisions that need to be made, and you don't want a player of Kyle's caliber to be able to go and hit the open market," Cunningham explained, per Kevin Patra of the NFL's website. "So we use the mechanisms that we have in place, like a free-agent tag, to allow ourselves a little bit more time to evaluate and get to know him, and the rest of the team."

The fourth overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, Pitts failed to reach elite status while featuring for Atlanta from 2022-24. However, ESPN stats show that the 25-year-old led the 2025 Falcons with 88 receptions, 118 targets and 928 receiving yards. Over 17 games, he tallied five touchdown receptions. 

Neither Cunningham nor new Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski was working for the organization when it drafted Pitts. While it's no secret that players would rather have guaranteed money beyond a single season than play on a franchise tag, Cunningham insisted that the tag isn't an insult. 

Falcons still think Kyle Pitts Sr. has "bright future"

"Being able to get him under the franchise tag, that lets you know how we feel about him and feel like he has a bright future in this league," Cunningham added about Pitts. 

Pitts is due to make roughly $15.045M for 2026 while on the tag. The Falcons clearly didn't want to give up on Pitts, but Cunningham's comments indicate the pro with five seasons on his career resume will basically remain in a contract year.