How Kyle Pitts free agency news impacts Titans’ reported interest in bringing back Chig Okonkwo with big need at tight end

The Titans seem to want Chig Okonkwo back in 2026, but what will it cost them?

Easton Freeze — Tennessee Titans Beat Writer
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It’s easy to get so sucked into the Tennessee Titans’ three biggest needs of the offseason, that you forget about their secondary issues. They need CB, WR and EDGE very badly, but that doesn’t eliminate the plan they have to put together at positions like TE.

The league meta swung towards heavy personnel and multiple TE’s in 2025, with some of the best teams like the Rams and Seahawks deploying a stable of tight ends to dictate terms on offense. The Titans need to get with the times on this, and Gunnar Helm’s rookie year was a strong start.

But it can’t be just him, so they have decisions to make with the rest of the room. And the free agent market just shifted.

Falcons plan on franchise tagging TE Kyle Pitts

It was reported Monday that the Falcons intend on franchise tagging TE Kyle Pitts. After an up-and-down rookie contract for the former 4th overall draft pick, new head coach Kevin Stefanski is interested in a test drive. Pitts is coming off of his strongest, most consistent season since his rookie year. The Falcons are wise to want to see if he can replicate it before getting married to him.

Pitts was one of the most obvious “free agent” marks to never actually reach free agency. He is the latest instance of a good player not hitting the market, a thing that happens in the majority of cases and makes our free agency discourse overly wishful in the months of January and February.

Titans reportedly prioritizing Chig Okonkwo in free agency

The Titans have a free agent tight end decision of their own to make with Chig Okonkwo. His rookie contract is up, and on one hand, Okonkwo has been one of the only productive receivers in the Titans’ offense the past couple years.

On the other hand, he brings very little as a blocker and he’s not been as consistent at times as you’d like him to be.

Paul Kuharsky reported that Okonkwo is one of the two players the Titans front office is prioritizing bringing back in free agency. Overthecap.com has Okonkwo’s valuation set around $9 million AAV, which feels right to me. His market strengthens with every veteran tight end who comes off the market like Pitts, but the crop of smaller receiving tight ends in this year’s draft class will ultimately hurt this market in the grand scheme of things.

The top of the free agent market includes names like David Njoku, Isaiah Likely, and Dallas Goedert. Okonkwo enters the conversation right around this point, before you get to guys like Tyler Higbee, Cade Otten, Austin Hooper, and Daniel Bellinger.

The Titans have the money to afford Okonkwo if they want him back. He said during the season that he’s trying to become a Titan for life. But if he’s retained, they still need real help in the blocking department at TE.

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