Kirk Cousins could be kept, cut, or traded. Fontenot has been adamant that he’s comfortable with the veteran being Michael Penix Jr.’s backup, but I still maintain the most likely outcome is an outright release.
The Falcons are also expected to completely overhaul the defense, which may come at a cost. Guys like Grady Jarrett, David Onyemata, and Younghoe Koo could become cap casualties.
The draft may represent a first for Fontenot too. The Falcons have never drafted a defender in the first round under his tutelage, and that’s expected to change in April.
There are other difficult decisions to be made, too. Does the team re-sign Drew Dalman? If reports are true that he could garner as much as $20 million per year on a new deal, Falcons fans should kiss Dalman goodbye.
Then, there’s the prospect of trading Kyle Pitts. The highest-drafted tight end in NFL history has been nothing short of a disappointment since his rookie campaign. With Atlanta stretched thin on cap dollars, Pitts could be seen as expendable on his fifth-year option that is set to pay him around $11 million.
ESPN’s Aaron Schatz has a bold prediction for Atlanta’s offseason — trade Kyle Pitts:
“Pitts was supposed to revolutionize the tight end position after the Falcons selected him fourth overall in the 2021 draft. It hasn’t worked out that way. Pitts caught 47 passes for 602 yards and four touchdowns in 2024. He ranked 32nd out of 48 qualifying tight ends in receiving DVOA. After 15.1 yards per reception as a rookie, he hasn’t topped 13.0 yards per reception in any of the past three seasons. Pitts played only 62% of Atlanta’s offensive snaps last season, while blocking tight end Charlie Woerner played 40%.
It’s time to move on. Another team probably believes they can tap into Pitts’ potential, even after four NFL seasons. The Falcons have to make their choice: They can pay Pitts $10 million for another possibly mediocre season and hope to get a compensatory pick when he leaves after 2025, or they can trade him and get a pick sooner while getting $10 million off the books. The latter is the better choice.”
I can understand Falcons fans wanting to keep Kyle Pitts and wanting to trade Kyle Pitts.
Kyle Pitts hasn’t shown enough in Years 2-4 to suggest the Falcons will re-sign him next offseason, so why not recoup some of that draft capital? The Falcons can also use that nearly $11 million saved to bolster the defense.
On the flip side of things, a connection with Michael Penix Jr. could save Pitts’ career in Atlanta. The Falcons are also not exactly in Super Bowl contention, so they might as well see things through and give Penix and Pitts a full offseason and a season’s worth of time to develop.
I can see it from both sides.
