The second week of franchise-tag availability has quickly turned into a nightmare scenario for the New England Patriots, as two of their most coveted potential offensive additions—wide receiver George Pickens and tight end Kyle Pitts—have been officially pulled off the free-agent board before the market even opened.
The first blow landed Monday when the Dallas Cowboys revealed their intention to place the franchise tag on Pickens, a move that immediately erased one of New England’s most realistic opportunities to secure a true WR1 for their rebuilding offense.
Not long after, NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported that the Atlanta Falcons would apply the tag to Pitts as well, formally removing him from the free-agent class and crushing the hopes of Patriots fans who envisioned the 25-year-old becoming the centerpiece of a new-look passing attack.
According to Rapoport, Atlanta’s decision will keep Pitts on a fully guaranteed one-year deal worth more than $15 million, although both sides intend to negotiate a long-term contract before the league’s mid-July deadline for multi-year deals.
With Pitts locked in and Pickens unavailable, the Patriots’ shortlist of star-level offensive targets has evaporated faster than anticipated, leaving a fan base—and a front office—scrambling to reassess priorities just weeks before free agency opens.
The possibility of trading for Pitts now appears slim to nonexistent, as Atlanta’s tag signals a strong desire to retain the young playmaker rather than leverage his value on the trade market, forcing New England to pivot immediately.
Patriots Must Build a New Plan at Tight End Ahead of Free Agency
The tight end position has been one of New England’s lingering weaknesses, and the tagging of Pitts now forces the organization to explore alternative solutions as they look to construct a modern, reliable two-tight-end system entering the 2026 season.
Veteran Austin Hooper is unlikely to return unless he accepts a significantly reduced role, as the Patriots appear determined to get younger, more athletic and more dynamic at the position in order to support their developing offense.
Meanwhile, experienced leader Hunter Henry remains the only proven option on the roster, and while he continues to be a dependable presence in the passing game, New England needs a complementary TE2 capable of both development and versatility.
Pitts initially looked like the perfect structural fit for that vision—a rare athlete capable of stretching defenses vertically, aligning across formations and serving as a matchup nightmare—but with him remaining in Atlanta, the Patriots must now search elsewhere.
The issue, however, is the underwhelming quality of available free-agent tight ends, as the market contains numerous names but very few who fit the mold of a long-term offensive building block for a team lacking high-end pass-catching talent.
Given those limitations, New England may ultimately be forced to consider trade scenarios, but such moves require partner availability, draft capital and financial flexibility, none of which can be assumed at this stage of the offseason.
In the meantime, attention has increasingly turned to Chigoziem Okonkwo, a 26-year-old entering free agency for the first time after being drafted by Mike Vrabel during his tenure with the Tennessee Titans in 2022.
Okonkwo’s raw numbers may not jump off the stat sheet, but his athletic profile, yards-after-catch potential and ability to thrive in motion-heavy schemes make him an intriguing developmental candidate for what the Patriots are trying to build.
He would enter Foxborough in a TE2 role, immediately gaining the benefit of learning behind Henry while being groomed into the kind of long-term playmaker the Patriots have lacked since transitioning out of their former two-tight-end offensive identity.
Given his age, skillset and familiarity with Vrabel—who has now rejoined the Patriots’ organization and still carries influence in personnel discussions—Okonkwo may emerge as the most realistic and strategically sound option at the position.
Where Do the Patriots Go From Here?
With two of their top targets now off the market, New England must rethink how they allocate resources and identify offensive upgrades, especially as they continue restructuring an offense that has struggled to keep pace with modern NFL standards.
The franchise has several pressing needs—from quarterback stability to wide receiver depth to offensive-line improvement—but the tight end position remains uniquely important due to the scheme versatility it unlocks when built correctly.
Under new leadership and with Vrabel adding his influence to the Bill Belichick-less Patriots era, the front office must decide quickly whether free agency, the draft or the trade market offers the clearest path to a meaningful upgrade at TE.
If the Patriots view Okonkwo as an ascending player who fits long-term system needs, he could become their top pursuit, especially with Pitts and Pickens already secured by their current teams and unlikely to hit the open market anytime soon.
Alternatively, the Patriots could attempt to swing a bold trade for a tight end who has yet to be publicly made available, but historically, such moves are rare given the scarcity of elite talent at the position league-wide.
Whatever direction they choose, the Patriots cannot afford to miss again, as the tight end position directly influences their red-zone efficiency, play-action success and middle-field spacing—three areas that consistently hindered them last season.
The franchise finds itself entering the offseason with urgency, pressure and dwindling options, but also an opportunity to rebuild the offensive identity that once made New England a perennial postseason presence.
And as the calendar inches closer to free agency, the Patriots’ next tight-end decision may ultimately reveal how aggressive, forward-thinking and adaptable the new regime intends to be as they attempt to navigate a suddenly complicated offseason landscape.
