Kyle Pitts, Falcons strike hefty three-year contract ahead of deadline

Kyle Pitts' big payday has arrived.

The tight end agreed to a three-year, $54 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons on June 23, according to multiple reports.

The deal, which includes $36 million in guaranteed money, places him behind only George Kittle of the San Francisco 49ers ($19.1 million per year) and Trey McBride ($19 million per year) among the highest-paid players at his position.

Pitts, 25, received the franchise tag from Atlanta this offseason after recording a career-high 88 receptions in 2025. The Falcons had until July 15 to reach a long-term deal or forge ahead with a one-year arrangement.

Pitts took the designation as a vote of confidence from the Falcons' new regime, led by coach Kevin Stefanski, general manager Ian Cunningham and president of football Matt Ryan.

"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 told reporters in May during organized team activities, according to ESPN. "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 is the second notable member of the Falcons' skill-position group to receive a sizable contract this offseason after wide receiver Drake London struck a four-year, $141 million deal earlier in June.

With the agreement, Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens is set to be the only player to play on the franchise tag this season. The team said it would not negotiate a multiyear pact with him before the end of the 2026 campaign.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kyle Pitts contract: Falcons TE lands three-year deal