Inside the Kyle Pitts deal

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When Kyle Pitts was a rookie in 2021, Matt Ryan was his quarterback. Now, Ryan is his boss. Earlier this week, the Falcons president of football gave the green light to a three-year deal that will keep Pitts in red and black. The contract replaces Pitts's one-year franchise tag, which would have paid $15.045 million. Here are the full details of the new Pitts deal. 1. Signing bonus: $16.785 million. 2. 2026 base salary: $1.215 million, fully guaranteed. 3. 2027 option bonus: $16.49 million, fully guaranteed. 4. 2027 workout bonus: $250,000, fully guaranteed (but must be earned). 5. 2027 base salary: $1.26 million, fully guaranteed. 6. 2028 90-man roster bonus: $1 million. 7. 2028 option bonus: $13.36 million. 8. 2028 offseason workout bonus: $250,000. 9. 2028 base salary: $1.39 million. 10. 2028 per-game roster bonus: $1 million total ($58,882 per game). 11. 2028 escalator: $1 million, with $250,000 for making the Pro Bowl or first- or second-team All-Pro in 2026, the same for 2027, $250,000 for 80 catches or 900 receiving yards in 2026, and the same for 2027. Pitts basically traded the franchise tag for a two-year, fully guaranteed deal in the amount of $36 million. If he'd been tagged twice, he would have earned $33.099 million. The final year is not guaranteed; it gives the Falcons an option at $17 million, or as much as $18 million. The base deal is $53 million over three years, for an average of $17.66 million. It reaches $18 million per year if he hits all four escalator triggers.