If there is one thing that Kansas City has always been known for, it's elite tight end play. From Fred Arbanas in the '60s to Tony Gonzalez in his prime and Travis Kelce over the past 13 years, the Chiefs and the tight end position have been undeniably linked to greatness.
That lineage of tight end play is soon to feature a new face and name after Kelce inevitably retires (possibly even within the next calendar year), and one name that has always been linked to Kansas City is Atlanta's Kyle Pitts. Now the former Florida Gator is being talked about as possible trade bait for Kansas City prior to the 2026 NFL Draft, but the trade scenario might be a little too much risk and not enough reward.
Trade buzz around Kyle Pitts is gaining momentum
After NFL insider Adam Schefter reported that Pitts was one of the players "gaining interest" as trade candidates, the 4th overall pick from the 2021 draft quickly found his way to Kansas City in multiple mock drafts and articles (much like this one), but one has definitely caught more attention.
That would be CBS Sports' John Breech stating that KC "should be the first team to give them a call" once the news broke, and then saying one of the Chiefs' two first-round picks in Thursday's draft would "likely be able to get a deal done."
Pitts came into the league as one of the brightest and biggest tight end prospects in years, especially after winning the John Mackey Award and unanimous All-American honors before becoming the highest-drafted tight end in NFL Draft history.
Once in Atlanta, he recorded 1,000 receiving yards in his rookie season, which put him in rare company alongside studs like Mike Ditka, but his luster has sizzled in recent years despite his touchdown receptions increasing by one every single season. Now he's playing on the fifth and final year of his rookie contract, but is he worth a first-round pick?
Is the juice really worth the squeeze?
It seems like every single season the draft is littered with good-to-great wide receiver talent, even producing some diamonds in the rough like Puka Nacua in the fifth round, but Pitts is more than just a pass-catching tight end.
With that said, it's hard to find great hands on a tight end who can also stand tall against opposing pass rushes. Pitts, a giant at 6'6", 246 pounds, only dropped four balls on 118 targets and finished the season with his best catch percentage of his career (74.6%). If anyone can utilize a stocky tight end with solid hands, it's Andy Reid.
A first-round pick, even the #29 pick acquired from the Trent McDuffie trade, still seems steep despite the production jump during a tumultuous 2025 season in Atlanta, doesn't it? Wouldn't it be worth it for Chiefs GM Brett Veach to take a risk on someone like Oregon's Kenyon Sadiq instead?
The option of taking Sadiq at pick No. 9 might seem excessive, but with Noah Gray not panning out as Veach and Reid expected—as well as the laundry list of tight ends always ending up on IR—it might be worth it to put all of KC's eggs in the Sadiq basket instead of the Pitts basket.
Why? Because the risk is so much greater taking a 25-year-old Pitts and hoping for his production to continue increasing in a new system. The other side of that coin being that Pitts (who will likely want to be paid accordingly) could become the next great tight end in NFL and Kansas City history.
On the other hand, a fresh-faced Sadiq could be a flash in the pan that could end up looking like another whiff by Veach, especially if he is the ninth pick. Kelce's mentorship and the combination of Sadiq's size and speed that he'd bring to Patrick Mahomes' arsenal could definitely create sparks, but he could also end up like the other three tight ends drafted since Reid's arrival in 2013.
The financial reality could decide everything
The other major factor here—money—is what will make or break the deal for Veach, as Kansas City only has roughly $7,000,000 in cap space, and that will have to go toward Pitts' eventual contract extension. Whereas the rookie contract of a top-10 or even top-30 pick might be easier to bear for the near future.
No matter who Kansas City drafts Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or even in the 2027 NFL Draft, the replacement of Kelce is an undeniable need that Veach and Reid have so far not gotten right. The addition of Pitts, especially a seasoned Pitts with some solid seasons under his belt, could definitely be the final piece that Mahomes needs... or it might be looked at with a grimace within a few years.
What do you think? Would the 29th pick (or even the 40th pick) be enough to acquire Pitts? And if so, would it be worth it to take that chance while Kansas City is in the middle of a legitimate dynasty?
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