Before NFL free agency and the 2026 league year begin in mid-March, teams are allowed to use franchise and transition tags on players between Feb. 17 and March 3 (deadline at 4 p.m. ET).
The franchise tag is a designation teams can apply to a player scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent, and it binds the player to the team for one season. Franchise tag figures are based on the top five salaries at each position. Last offseason, two players were tagged: Bengals receiver Tee Higgins and Chiefs guard Trey Smith.
The Atlanta Falcons kicked things off by tagging tight end Kyle Pitts Sr., and Dallas Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said the team is “leaning” toward applying the franchise tag on Pro Bowl wide receiver George Pickens, but they’re aware that sometimes tagged players stay away from the offseason program.
Here’s a look at the first player who has been tagged in 2026, the reasons he got tagged and what might come next.
Franchise tag salary: $16.3 million
Why he was tagged: Pitts was one of the team’s most potent weapons in 2025 and the best tight end statistically in the NFL outside of the Arizona Cardinals‘ Trey McBride. The Falcons need pass catchers for quarterback Michael Penix Jr. outside of running back Bijan Robinson and wide receiver Drake London.
What he brings: Size at 6-foot-6 and speed. Also, an existing relationship with Penix. The two have driven to games together and become golfing buddies. Pitts was actually more effective with Kirk Cousins throwing to him, but that was also due to being featured with London injured late in the season. But the Falcons hope the Penix-Pitts connection can blossom.
Stat to know: Pitts had 11 catches for 166 yards and three touchdowns against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Dec. 11. He was the first tight end since Shannon Sharpe with at least 150 yards receiving and three touchdowns in a single game.
Possibility of an extension: The Falcons might ask Pitts to do it again. As in, duplicate or come close to his 2025 production. Pitts had a great rookie season in 2021 and then three off years mired by injuries and inconsistency. But another season like 2025 and Pitts would be unequivocally one of the best tight ends in football. It’s worth noting also that he is still just 25 years old. — Marc Raimondi
