Updated June 24, 2026, 1:49 p.m. ET

Atlanta Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham has made it a priority to re-sign the team’s young core in his first offseason since taking over for Terry Fontenot. Cunningham’s latest move was to re-sign Fontenot’s very first draft pick, agreeing to terms with Kyle Pitts on a new three-year contract.

Pitts is now the third-highest paid tight end in the NFL at $18 million per year. Considering he’s just 25 years old and coming off arguably the best season of his career, it’s easy to see why the Falcons wanted to get a deal done. While Pitts’ 88-catch, 928-yard campaign was impressive, he has struggled with consistency throughout his career.

For The Win NFL analyst Christian D’Andrea gave Pitts’ new contract a B-minus grade.

“Pitts may not be the guy who perpetually draws double teams like Atlanta may have hoped,” wrote D’Andrea. “But if he can clear space for Bijan Robinson and, importantly, fill a need for a receiving corps that’s paper thin behind Drake London, he’ll bring value approaching the top-three salary he just received. But that’s a big risk for a player who hasn’t been able to string together back-to-back good years yet.”

The tight end position is not easy to evaluate since it’s largely dependent on quarterback play. Back when Matt Ryan was the team’s quarterback in 2021, Pitts posted a career-high 1,026 yards. However, that production dipped as Pitts played with Marcus Mariota, Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke in 2022 and 2023.

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Even though Pitts’ year-to-year production has been inconsistent, FTW believes the team is attempting to send a message through this extension.

“Pitts may not live up to his valuation, and Atlanta could regret not letting him play 2026 on the franchise tag,” added D’Andrea. “But this move suggests hard work and versatility will be recognized. Pitts changed his game to prove his value to the Falcons. They rewarded that with a top-three salary at his position despite underwhelming in the majority of his seasons as a pro. There’s value to that beyond what his box scores look like.”

The Falcons are betting on the better parts of Pitts’ game, while hoping he continues to improve as a blocker in 2026. Since head coach Kevin Stefanski’s system prioritizes the tight end position, Pitts could be in for a big year.