The Atlanta Falcons intend to place the franchise tag on tight end Kyle Pitts, keeping one of the NFL's premier players at the position under contract for at least the 2026 season, a source told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. The tag deadline falls next Tuesday, with free agency opening the following week.

Pitts stands to earn approximately $16,319,000 under the tight end franchise tender, according to OverTheCap.com. Atlanta and the 25-year-old have until July 15 to reach a long-term agreement or Pitts will play the coming season on the one-year tender.

The move follows a substantial bounce-back campaign for Pitts, who ranked second among tight ends in receptions (88) and receiving yards (928) last season, trailing only Arizona's Trey McBride. He added a career-high five touchdown catches and earned AP second-team All-Pro honors.

His standout moment came against Tampa Bay in December, when Pitts recorded 11 catches for 166 yards and three touchdowns — becoming the first tight end to post at least 150 yards and three scores in a single game since Shannon Sharpe in 1996.

The production was a welcome return after MCL surgery in 2022 and two consecutive seasons below 700 receiving yards. Pitts also navigated six different starting quarterbacks across five NFL seasons.

New Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski, a former tight ends coach, figures to feature Pitts prominently in his offensive system. Atlanta selected Pitts fourth overall out of Florida in the 2021 draft. As a rookie, he became the first tight end to surpass 1,000 receiving yards in a debut season since Mike Ditka in 1961.