Kyle Pitts '100 Percent' Believes His Best Is Still Ahead, and the NFC Should Be Terrified

Alright, 12s, buckle up because the NFL dropped a Monday bomb that's gonna have ripple effects across the whole dang NFC. Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts, after signing his franchise tag back in April, just inked a monster three-year, $54 million deal! Yeah, you read that right. Fifty-four million dollars. This dude went from playing on a one-year, $15.045 million tag to getting paid serious long-term cash, and he's not even close to being done.

From Tag to Bag: Pitts' Big Payday

This whole situation started back on April 7, when Pitts signed that franchise tag. He thought he was playing 2026 under a prove-it deal. "It was more so, ‘OK, that was my opportunity that Atlanta picked it back up to give me another year to showcase,’" Pitts told Daniel Flick of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. He said it was "time to squeeze the rag and just grind." Well, that grind paid off quick. He got the call about long-term interest, and when the deal happened, he called it "pretty great." You bet it was! For a guy who's only 25, securing that kind of money before the season even truly gets going is huge. It shows the Falcons are all-in on his future, and honestly, who wouldn't be?

The Monster That's Brewing in Atlanta

Now, let's be real. When Pitts came out of colle

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ge as the fourth overall pick in 2021, everyone was calling him a generational talent. He hasn't *quite* hit those impossible heights every single season, but don't get it twisted. This man is a problem for defenses. He’s only 25 years old and he's fresh off a 2025 season where he earned second-team All-Pro honors. He set career highs with a massive 88 receptions, five touchdowns, and piled up 928 yards. Those are numbers that make you sit up and pay attention, especially when a player is still so young.

What This Means for the NFC Grind

Here’s the part that should make every fan in the Emerald City raise an eyebrow. Pitts isn't just taking the money and running. He "100 percent" believes his best football is still ahead of him, and that's exactly what the Falcons are banking on. "I think there’s a lot more out there, a lot more to get, and a lot more things to keep grinding towards. It’s cool to see," he said. Think about that for a second. A 25-year-old All-Pro tight end, who's already putting up career numbers, believes he has *even more* in the tank. Our guys like Sam Darnold, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Rashid Shaheed, and Cooper Kupp are grinding here, and it just means the NFC competition is getting even tougher. As we look forward to the upcoming NFL season, the road through the conference is never easy, and this move just adds another high-stakes player to the mix.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.