NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport has reported that the Atlanta Falcons have reached a three-year, $54 million extension with tight end Kyle Pitts, who was previously on a one-year franchise tag that would have paid him $15 million. Over the course of three years, Pitts will now be paid an average of $18 million per year.
This is significant for Green Bay Packers fans who have been trying to judge the Tucker Kraft market. George Kittle, at 32 years old, set the top of the tight end market with a $19.1 million per year deal last year. There was some thought that maybe Pitts would be able to push past the Kittle APY, but it looks like Pitts’ camp liked the flexibility of a three-year deal, allowing Pitts to negotiate a new deal a year earlier than if he signed a four-year deal like Kittle’s, than the pure APY number.
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As of now, here is how the top APYs at the tight end position are laid out for the current NFL:
George Kittle: $19.1 million per
Kyle Pitts: $18 million per
Kraft’s number will almost certainly come in higher than Likely, who only started in 26 of 53 games that he played on his rookie contract with the Baltimore Ravens. Likely was the TE2 in Baltimore behind Mark Andrews and never had more than 477 receiving yards in a single season (and is known best as a pass-catcher instead of a blocker).
The question now is where Kraft will slot in among the top tight ends coming off his 2025 ACL tear.
Reports earlier this offseason claimed that the Packers wanted to get a deal done with Kraft before the regular season kicked off. He is probably the next big deal that Green Bay will sign, unless defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt skips him in the pecking order.
