Patriots predicted to sign Falcons $43 million free agent to help Drake Maye

Once the New England Patriots complete the Super Bowl next weekend, the team will turn its attention to the offseason, and adding more weapons for quarterback Drake Maye is one of the Pats' highest priorities.

While Stefon Diggs and Hunter Henry are both under contract in 2026, the Patriots need more veteran help, especially at wide receiver.

In order to bolster Maye's group of pass-catchers, Stadium Rant's Cameron Wiley predicts the Patriots will sign Atlanta Falcons tight end, Kyle Pitts, who Spotrac projects will land a four-year, $43 million contract in free agency.

"It’s entirely possible that Kyle Pitts remains with the Atlanta Falcons under new head coach Kevin Stefanski. If he doesn’t, New England might be a nice spot for him," Wiley wrote.

"Pitts has never been fully unlocked in Atlanta. Bring his talents to a Josh McDaniels offense led by Drake Maye, and he’ll shine. Hunter Henry is a solid tight end for the Pats now, but Pitts could give them a terrifying duo," Wiley added.

Pitts exploded onto the scene during his rookie year with 1,026 receiving yards, but he followed that up with three disappointing seasons in a row that saw him total a combined 1,625 yards in 44 games.

Pitts finally began looking the part of the star player the Falcons thought they were getting late in 2025 with an impressive six-game stretch near the end of the season that saw Pitts post 469 of his 928 yards and four of his five touchdowns.

With a new regime in Atlanta, all bets are off in terms of Pitts returning although the Falcons will no doubt at least consider keeping him with the team needing weapons for quarterback Michael Penix Jr.

While signing Pitts might seem like overkill with the Pats already having Henry, and with the team only running 12 personnel 19.35% of the time in 2025, which ranked 19th in the NFL, per Sumer Sports, we know offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has operated offenses with two good tight ends before.

We also know that Pitts is a dynamic athlete who is alignment versatile, so he isn't like a lot of tight ends. Pitts has played 30% of his career snaps inline, 25.6% out wide and 44.1% in the slot, according to Pro Football Focus.

If the Patriots have to choose one, making a significant move at wide receiver is the better bet over adding another tight end. However, if the Pats' bid to make a splash at wide receiver doesn't pan out, we could see them making a play for Pitts.

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