Kyle Pitts just got paid. The Atlanta Falcons tight end signed a three-year, $54 million extension that includes $36 million fully guaranteed, putting him in the top tier of earners at his position. But not everyone is throwing a parade over it.
ESPN analyst Booger McFarland, a two-time Super Bowl champion, made it clear he has reservations about the deal. He doesn’t hate it. He just doesn’t love it, and he took time to explain why on air this week.
What McFarland Said
“I like the deal. I don’t love it,” McFarland said. “I like it because I think he’s earned the right, from a standpoint, to get a new contract. Let’s not forget this contract pays you for what you’re going to do, not what you’ve already done. I don’t love it because I don’t think the player lived up to what we thought he was going to be.”
That’s a fair critique when you look at the hype that followed Pitts out of Florida. The Falcons drafted him fourth overall in 2021, and expectations were astronomical. A tight end at 6-foot-6, 250 pounds, running a 4.4 40-yard dash. He was supposed to be a matchup nightmare who changed how defenses game-planned.
It hasn’t really played out that way.
Pitts had a huge rookie season with over 1,000 yards. But Year 2 was derailed by injury, and Year 3 was mostly quiet. Then last year, he posted the best numbers of his career — 73 catches, 1,048 yards, six touchdowns. Which leads to McFarland’s real point of contention.
“How many times have we seen a guy have a career year in a contract year?” McFarland asked. “Why can’t you do that? You couldn’t do that the previous three years when the contract year wasn’t there.”
He’s not wrong. The timing is convenient. Pitts showed up when it mattered most for his bank account, and the Falcons rewarded him for it. But McFarland isn’t convinced that version of Pitts is the one Atlanta will get from here on out.
What This Means for the Falcons
Atlanta has built its offense around young skill players — Pitts, running back Bijan Robinson, and wide receiver Drake London. Quarterback Kirk Cousins is signed and presumably healthy. The pieces are there. But the Falcons are betting that Pitts finally becomes that guy consistently, not just when his contract is on the line.
McFarland made sure to say he’s happy for Pitts. He congratulated him on getting the bag. But his overall point sticks: paying players for what you hope they’ll do is always a gamble. Sometimes it works. Sometimes you’re left wondering why the monster season only came when the money was at stake.
“I’m happy for Kyle Pitts. He got his money. He’s earned his money,” McFarland said. “I don’t love it because I don’t think the player has lived up to what we thought he was going to be or what we thought he was going to be coming out of the University of Florida.”
The Falcons are betting big that he finally will. We’ll see if they’re right.
Leave a Comment