The Atlanta Falcons have extended star tight end Kyle Pitts with a new three-year contract, and it very well could have a direct impact on the next deal for Buffalo Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter was first on the news and had the ever-important financial details:
This contract is no joke — it’s not loaded with funny money — as the $36 million in full guarantees represent the highest figure at the tight end position, eclipsing George Kittle by $1M.
While average per year (APY) can often lead to incorrect conclusions about a contract in the NFL, it is a measure by which deals are often compared in this league. And the $18M APY in Pitts’ new deal is the third-highest at tight end beyond Kittle ($19.1M) and Trey McBride at $19M.
To date, Pitts has averaged 98 targets, 62 receptions, 780 yards, and three touchdowns per a 17-game season with the Falcons. He set career highs across the board with 88 snags, 928 yards, and five receiving scores in 2025.
Kincaid’s 17-game averages are as follows: 89 targets, 65 catches, 702 yards and four scores per season.
So, yeah, you can bet if he turns in a season that compares to his current 17-game averages, Kincaid and his agent would likely use the Pitts deal as framework when they get to the negotiation table with Bills brass.
However, that sit down doesn’t necessarily have to occur in the near future.
Pitts was drafted two years before Kincaid (and is two years younger). He was set to be Atlanta’s franchise-tagged player this season before this new contract with the Falcons was agreed upon. Kincaid is entering his fourth year in the NFL — with a $4.2M cap hit in 2026 — and the Bills have exercised his fifth-year option, which means he is set to represent a very manageable $8.2M cap hit in 2027.
But now, with this Pitts deal, we all have parameters for what a second contract for Kincaid may very well look like if and when the Bills decide to extend him.
