The Athletic’s Josh Kendall says we should “expect Kyle Pitts to play this season on the franchise tag.”

27 February 2026

The Falcons officially placed the franchise tag on Pitts on Tuesday. While the two sides could still come to terms on a long-term deal to keep Pitts in Atlanta beyond next season, Kendall says “the vibe Atlanta is giving when it comes to Pitts” suggests a new deal is unlikely. Pitts caught 88 passes for 928 yards and five touchdowns last season, turning in what was arguably the best year of his five-year career. Still only 25 years old, it’s fair to assume the Falcons will want to keep Pitts under contract for years to come if he can replicate that success again next season. That said, with a new regime in place and head coach Kevin Stefanski still getting a sense of what he can do with his roster, it’s understandable if the team would prefer to see how Pitts performs in 2026 before making any long-term commitments.