The Falcons slapped Kyle Pitts with the franchise tag back in February, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the tight end will stick in Atlanta for the 2026 season. Falcons GM Ian Cunningham admitted to reporters today that he’d listen to trade offers on the former first-round pick

[RELATED: Falcons Place Franchise Tag On TE Kyle Pitts]

“It’s my job as the general manager to do what’s best for the organization,” Cunningham said (via Josh Kendall of The Athletic). “Kyle is a great player. We’ve seen his skill set. Also, it’s my job to listen. We’re excited to have Kyle. We’re excited for his future.”

Pitts has struggled to live up to his first-round billing through five years in the NFL, although his performance in 2025 was enough for the new regime to commit to 2026. The tight end had his most productive campaign since his rookie year, and he ultimately finished the season with a career-high 88 receptions for 928 yards and five touchdowns. After being hit with the franchise tag, Pitts will now be attached to a $15MM salary in 2026.

Even before Cunningham acknowledge that a trade could be a possibility, it was uncertain if Pitts had a long-term future in Atlanta. We heard earlier this month that the tight end was expected to play out the 2026 campaign on the franchise tag, and the organization’s new leadership would use their in-person evaluation to determine any future contracts for the veteran.

Now, there’s a chance that Kevin Stefanski‘s staff might not even have an opportunity to work with the pass-catching TE. Pitts’ franchise tag removed a key player from the free agent pool, and among the six tight ends to earn at least $10MM in guaranteed money, only four switched teams (Isaiah Likely, Charlie Kolar, Chig Okonkwo, Daniel Bellinger). In other words, plenty of teams would surely consider a notable addition to their tight ends room, and while Atlanta’s front office couldn’t command a bounty, they wouldn’t lack for suitors.

If Pitts does stick in Atlanta, there will once again be some uncertainty about his role in 2026. He’ll likely be receiving passes from a new QB in Tua Tagovailoa, and he’ll be playing under a new head coach. While Stefanski has had success with the likes of David Njoku and Harold Fannin, the coach made it sound like he wants to utilize all of the tight ends on his depth chart, a grouping that also includes Austin Hooper and Charlie Woerner.

“We certainly want to be a team that goes in and out of different personnel groupings,” Stefanski said (via Kendall). “The spring and summer will allow us to see what our best group is and what we want to lean into.”