Pitts, who was set to be an unrestricted free agent, will officially receive $15 million in salary for the 2026 season, possibly keeping him on the Falcons for another year.
The non-exclusive franchise tag allows Pitts to receive offers from other teams. However, other teams will have to present an offer sheet. After such, the Falcons will have five days to match that team's offer sheet. Should another team sign Pitts, the Falcons will receive "draft-choice compensation equivalent to two first-round picks," according to the league.
Pitts is coming off the best season of his career since being drafted by the Falcons with the fourth overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. His 88 receptions and five receiving touchdowns were both career-highs, while his 928 receiving yards were the most since his rookie season (1,026) and ranked second among all tight ends in 2025.
The 25-year-old tight end has been the victim of much scrutiny, primarily from NFL fantasy football players, who always put their bets on the tight end to have a breakout season at some point due to his extremely athletic ability that made him a top-five pick in the first place.
His biggest game this past season came against the NFC South rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers when he posted 166 yards and three touchdowns on 11 receptions (12 targets).
Pitts' receiving woes could be due to the quarterback conflicts that have been plaguing the Falcons until this past season, where young QB Michael Penix Jr. began to show very promising signs of a franchise QB. However, injuries derailed his 2025 season, and he only played in nine games.
Prior to that, Pitts had Kirk Cousins (2025-2024), Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke (2023), Marcus Mariota and Ridder (2022), and Matt Ryan (2021) in his final season with the Falcons before retiring shortly after one season with the Indianapolis Colts (2022).
The Falcons brought in two-time Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski to be the team's new head coach this season and will now try to lead the Falcons to an NFC South title for the first time since 2016.