The Falcons signed tight end Kyle Pitts to a massive 3-year deal this week, prompting strong reactions from fans and analysts. Kevin Knight breaks down the deal, comparing Pitts’ production and cost to other tight ends and wide receivers and explaining why the deal is an objectively good value for Atlanta. Fellow Falcoholics, welcome to another episode of the Dirty Birds and Brews podcast!
All of the details are broken down more thoroughly in the shows below, but I’m adding in my research notes here
for those who prefer the written content. It’s a little bullet-pointy, but wanted to give you something to peruse quickly!
Kyle Pitts extension
3 years, $54M, $18M/yr, $36M guaranteed
- 3rd highest paid TE in APY (Average Per Year), behind George Kittle ($19.1M) and Trey McBride ($19M). Just ahead of Brenton Strange ($16M) and Isaiah Likely ($13.3M)
- 5th in TE receiving yards since entering the league in 2021
- 2nd in TE receiving yards, 22nd in overall receiving yards in 2025
To put that in context…
Pitts is cheaper AND matched or beat the production of:
DK Metcalf ($32.9M), Jaylen Waddle ($28.25M), D.J. Moore ($27.5M), Christian Watson ($23M), Jakobi Meyers ($20M), Jerry Jeudy ($17.5M), Michael Pittman Jr. ($17.5M), Romeo Doubs ($17M), Rashid Shaheed ($17M)
In short, Pitts can provide roughly top-20 receiving production for the price of 27th. One could argue his value as a matchup problem from the TE position provides additional value, and while Pitts is not an impactful blocker, he still provides better blocking than most WRs.
This is also a contract with significant upside and limited risk. The Falcons keep Pitts under contract for 3 years at a reasonable salary, with what is essentially a team option for Year 3. Atlanta is only committed for two years at a price that Pitts can clearly outproduce.
Pitts is just 25 years old and has only sparingly been used as a top target in the offense (2021 and 2025). In Stefanski’s historically TE-centric offense, Pitts offers significantly more value and is much more likely to deliver on his contract APY.
The video and podcast versions are below if you’d like even more explanation and context.
You can also listen to all of our video shows in an audio-only podcast format, available on all your favorite podcast platforms or by using the player below.
If you’re interested in supporting the show, check out our Patreon page to unlock access to exclusive perks including Patron Q&A sessions, Discord perks, live shout-outs and more!
Be sure to check out the new community Discord server here! Come chat with your fellow Falcons fans about the show, the team, the NFL draft, and more.
You can watch the show here on The Falcoholic, but we recommend watching on YouTube for the best experience—including full 1080p HD video and access to the live Q&A in the chat. You can also access the show using your smart TV or device using the YouTube app for the real big-screen experience!
We hope you enjoy the show! If you have comments, we’d love to hear them. Send them to us on Twitter (@FalcoholicLive), leave them below, or e-mail the show at falcoholiclive@gmail.com.
Thanks for watching!
