How Atlanta Falcons Could Save $9 Million on Kyle Pitts' Fifth-Year Option

The Atlanta Falcons will have to make a decision on tight end Kyle Pitts' fifth-year option this upcoming offseason, which could spark a positional debate.

Will the Atlanta Falcons opt to use their fifth-year option on tight end Kyle Pitts? That seems to be one of the biggest questions surrounding the upcoming offseason.

However, there appears to be a new caveat developing regarding that decision, that being the question of what position the Falcons view Pitts as. 

As ESPN's Michael Rothstein pointed out in a recent article, the decision could significantly affect how much money they'd commit to him.

"Pitts' fifth-year option as a tight end would be a projected $10.561 million, according to Over The Cap. As a receiver, it would be projected at $19.398 million," Rothstein writes. "Those salaries are elevated because of Pitts' Pro Bowl appearance and would be fully guaranteed because of the latest collective bargaining agreement."

Dec 10, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts (8) celebrates after a touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

For those still skeptical of Pitts' value after his first three seasons in Atlanta haven't quite lived up to the expectations of his No. 4 overall NFL Draft selection, hearing the Falcons could save $9 million by classifying him as a tight end would feel like a no-brainer. 

Listing him as a tight end seems to be the most likely route for the Falcons, considering he is listed as one on their roster. However, as Rothstein pointed out, the Pro Bowl has Pitts listed as a receiver, which matches up best with his snap count by position.

Per Pro Football Focus, Pitts has taken 264 out of his 564 total snaps in the slot. Compared to 162 snaps out wide and 136 in an inline position, which people would typically associate with the alignment of the tight end position.

This type of potential debate and uncertainty regarding determining a player's position for contractual purposes isn't exactly new territory, as the article notes. Back in 2014, then New Orleans Saints tight end Jimmy Graham found himself in a similar position. Despite playing most of his snaps in the slot, the Saints franchise tagged him as a tight end, which, as it will do for Pitts potentially, meant less money, leading to Graham unsuccessfully challenging the Saints via an arbitration case.

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So, while Pitts does have the option to challenge the Falcons' decision on how much he gets paid, according to past precedent, the odds seem to be in Atlanta's favor as they weigh up the decision of how they apply the fifth-year option.

In the meantime, the Falcons and Pitts will travel to Charlotte on Sunday to face the Carolina Panthers. Kickoff inside Bank of America Stadium is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET.