Michael Pittman Jr. has a long way to go to catch Jonathan Taylor for contract-related drama, but the Colts’ No. 1 wide receiver resides in the same boat. Both were second-round picks in 2020, putting each in a contract year.
While Taylor has expressed extreme dissatisfaction with how the organization has proceeded regarding his return from an ankle injury and its approach to his contract extension, Pittman may still be the team’s top extension candidate. The fourth-year vet expressed interest in a Colts extension, Mike Chappell of Fox 59 notes.
The Colts have rewarded a host of contract-year players under GM Chris Ballard. Quenton Nelson, Braden Smith and Ryan Kelly signed big-ticket re-ups ahead of their walk years. Ditto Shaquille Leonard, with Nyheim Hines also re-signing in his fourth NFL offseason. Like Leonard and Smith, Taylor and Pittman are ex-Day 2 selections. No fifth-year options exist in their contracts.
But the Colts are in a different place compared to recent offseasons. They are coming off a 4-13 season and have hired a new HC (Shane Steichen). As they may want to see how Pittman and Taylor look in Steichen’s system, Chappell adds the team should not be expected to hand out deals to the contract-year skill-position players before this season.
Taylor has obviously outperformed Pittman, but the latter plays a more valuable position in the modern game. Pittman, 25, took over for T.Y. Hilton as the Colts’ top target early in his career and has a 1,000-yard season on his resume. The 6-foot-4 wide receiver totaled a career-high 1,082 yards during Carson Wentz‘s season at the helm and finished last year with 925 during a season in which the Colts saw their QB plan crater. Three passers (Matt Ryan, Sam Ehlinger, Nick Foles) started games for the 2022 Colts, and with Taylor out for six games and the team’s O-line not performing on the level it did in recent years, Pittman was not exactly set up for success.
The second-generation pro will have an opportunity to bounce back, but the prospect of Anthony Richardson being the Week 1 starter could work against Pittman’s hopes at a second 1,000-yard season. The Colts will be eager to trot out the raw rookie, though that might not be ideal for Pittman’s contract year. Still, Taylor will bring a much cheaper franchise tag in 2024. This would leave Pittman, 25, as the team’s clear-cut top extension candidate.
Teams’ extension decisions in 2022 — for the likes of A.J. Brown, Terry McLaurin, Deebo Samuel, D.K. Metcalf and Diontae Johnson — left the 2023 free agent market thin at receiver. As of August, Pittman joins Mike Evans, Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd and Marquise Brown as the top wideouts eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2024.
Pittman’s earned it. He’s the Colts’ only real WR1 option right now (no disrespect meant to Alec Pierce) and he’s played pretty well. Hopefully for Pittman and the Colts they get something worked out, because it’s be in the best interest of both parties.