Adam Schefter does not float Kyle Pitts trade rumors by accident. ESPN’s lead NFL insider has now mentioned a Pitts trade twice in two weeks on his podcast, and that is the most reliable signal in the league that a deal is being shopped around the building.
“I would watch to see if they could find a trade partner for Kyle Pitts, who they’re open to dealing,” Schefter said on his self-named podcast this week. The Falcons are not denying it. New general manager Ian Cunningham said during owners’ meetings, “It’s my job as the general manager to do what’s best for the organization.”
That is GM-speak for “yes, we are listening.” Pitts is 25 years old, a second-team All-Pro coming off a career year in which he caught 88 balls for 928 yards and five touchdowns. He is finally healthy. He is finally productive. The Falcons are picking him apart at exactly the moment when his value is at an all-time high.
The fit makes sense for Kansas City. The Chiefs have already called to inquire about Pitts, per multiple reports. Travis Kelce is 36 and has signaled this could be his last ride. Patrick Mahomes has never had a true field-stretching tight end alongside Kelce. Pitts fills the role for one year as the heir apparent, then becomes the full-time guy in 2027.
The Chiefs also have the draft capital to make it work. Kansas City could move down from the late first or send a 2027 second-round pick. Atlanta would have to take it. They are short on picks already, with only selections at No. 48, 79, and 122 in this year’s draft. Cunningham wants to move back and stockpile. Pitts is the asset that lets him do it.
Other rumored suitors include the Browns and Broncos, but neither makes as much sense as Kansas City. The Browns just spent first-round capital on Mason Graham and need to protect their cap. Denver has Sean Payton, who loves tight ends, but the Broncos already invested in Greg Dulcich and re-signed Adam Trautman.
The argument against trading Pitts is the argument the Falcons have made for four years. He is a generational athlete at the position. The 2025 season finally proved that they are not crazy to have used the fourth overall pick on him. Why move him now, when he is at peak value and the team is supposedly in the playoff picture?
The answer is that the Falcons are not actually in the playoff picture. Last year’s offense was Bijan Robinson and Pitts and not enough else. Drake London is a good number two. The line is average. The quarterback situation is the messiest in the NFC. Trading Pitts at the deadline or before the season starts and turning that pick into a quarterback of the future is the smart long-term play.
Cunningham is the new voice in the building. He came over from Chicago, where he watched Ryan Poles rebuild the Bears through trades and draft picks. He knows the playbook. Pitts is the most movable asset on a roster that needs to be retooled before it competes in the NFC South for real.
If Kansas City does pull this off, the Chiefs become the Super Bowl favorite again. If Atlanta pulls it off, the Falcons get the draft capital to build for whatever comes next. The only loser is anyone who wanted to see Pitts and Bijan Robinson grow up together for the rest of the decade.
Watch the next two weeks. Schefter does not float these rumors twice unless something is close.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
