Live Hostage Situation in Atlanta? The Falcons Just Put Kyle Pitts in Franchise Tag Limbo

Kyle Pitts is staying in Atlanta, at least for now.

The Kyle Pitts has officially been franchise tagged by the Atlanta Falcons, a move that keeps one of the league’s most physically gifted tight ends under team control without a long term commitment. Pitts just put up what some will call a breakout campaign with 88 catches and 5 touchdowns, finally flashing more of the upside that made him a top draft pick. Still, it is fair to say his overall production has not consistently matched the hype. Atlanta’s offensive situation has been chaotic in recent years, cycling through coordinators and quarterbacks, and that instability has not helped his development.

That said, the franchise tag is the real story here.

I do not like franchise tags. They give ownership virtually all the leverage while the player assumes almost all the risk. The tag was designed to prevent holdouts and maintain continuity during contract negotiations. In reality, it often just delays the inevitable. Instead of negotiating in good faith like every other major sports league, the NFL leans on a mechanism that restricts player movement while pretending it is a compromise.

History shows how messy this can get. Le'Veon Bell was tagged twice by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played on the first tag, then sat out the entire next season to avoid risking injury without long term security. He reportedly lost about 14 million dollars in the process, then signed with the New York Jets, where his career never fully recovered. That is not leverage. That is a system daring a player to bet against his own body.

Kirk Cousins was tagged twice by the Washington Commanders, played both seasons, and still walked in free agency. The tag did not secure a long term future. It just prolonged uncertainty. If Jerry Jones had not truly believed in Dak Prescott, Dak could have been in serious trouble after his season ending injury while playing on the tag. When you are forced to play without long term protection, every snap becomes a financial gamble.

Now, to contradict myself a little.

If there is one type of player you might justify tagging, it could be Kyle Pitts. He has the talent. He has the measurables. He has shown flashes that remind you why he was drafted so high. But he has also had stretches where the dominance has not matched the tools. Fair or not, he feels like a player who might respond to a carrot on a string dynamic. A prove it year. A contract structure that says, do it again, do it consistently, and then we will back up the Brinks truck.

That does not mean the system is good. It just means this might be one of the rare cases where it aligns with performance reality. If Pitts truly breaks out and becomes the matchup nightmare everyone expected, he will force Atlanta’s hand into a massive extension anyway.

The fact that teams can use the franchise tag twice still makes no sense. One year is already a power play. Two years turns it into control bordering on coercion. And technically, with back to back franchise tags followed by a transition tag, you are effectively looking at three straight years of restricted control. If the player is worth keeping, negotiate a real deal. If he is not, let him test the market.

This is professional football, not central planning. Let the free market reign, fuck Karl Marx.