Michael Pittman Jr.

Colts, WR Michael Pittman Jr. Finalizing Deal

March 11th, 2024 at 10:26am CST by Adam La Rose

Michael Pittman Jr.‘s immediate future was already assured given the Colts’ decision to place the franchise tag on him. The team’s top wideout could be in place well beyond 2024, however, as Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports the sides are working on a long-term deal which could be finalized today.

Providing financial details on the agreement, Rapoport notes it will be a three-year deal with a base value of $70MM. $46MM of that total is guaranteed, and Pittman could earn up to $71.5MM. This accord will take the place of his $21.8MM franchise tag.

Pittman represented an obvious candidate for a new Colts deal given his importance to the team’s passing game. The 26-year-old saw his target share increase in each of his four seasons in the NFL, and that figure has comfortably reached triple-digits every year since 2021. He topped 1,000 receiving yards that year and again in 2023, but his number have pointed to good-not-great production in the eyes of many. Paying out a one-year tender (via the tag) at an average of the top-five receiver earners was thus seen as challenging for the team.

Instead, that situation has now been avoided with a multi-year pact, albeit one which will increase Pittman’s AAV. This new deal will bring an average of $23.3MM, a figure which ranks eighth in the league amongst wideouts and outpaces the value of the tag. The Colts are banking on continued development while also getting ahead of the next wave of WR deals. Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson and Brandon Aiyuk are among the up-and-coming producers at the position in line for monster extensions as early as this offseason. They could each move past Pittman on their respective accords.

Indianapolis has made multiple draft investments in recent years in a bid to find other cost-effective wideouts to complement Pittman. That effort has included using a second-round pick on Alec Pierce in 2022 and a third-rounder on Josh Downs last April. No pass-catcher has matched Pittman’s importance to the Colts’ offense, however, and the USC product will remain a focal point moving forward. He, along with quarterback Anthony Richardson and running back Jonathan Taylor will comprise the backbone of Indianapolis’ offense in 2024 and beyond.

The Colts will still have plenty of spending power for the offseason; this extension will likely lower Pittman’s 2024 cap number despite the AAV coming in at a higher rate than the franchise tag. More moves involving offensive playmakers could be coming, but the team’s top internal priority has now been taken care of.

Colts To Tag Michael Pittman Jr.; Sides Discussing Extension

March 5th, 2024 at 2:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

2:03pm: Although the Colts have Pittman on their extension radar, they will use the placeholder option. Indianapolis will tag Pittman, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. It does not appear the sides are too close on a long-term deal, per NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo, but a tag gives them some time. The Colts have until July 15 to complete an extension with their top receiver.

1:45pm: Chris Ballard‘s comments at the Combine did not make it sound likely Michael Pittman Jr. would reach free agency. Indeed, it appears the Colts are preparing to use their franchise tag for the first time since 2013.

The Colts are planning to tag Pittman if they cannot reach an extension, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler. The sides are still talking, per The Athletic’s James Boyd. The Colts last used their tag to keep Pat McAfee off the market 11 years ago, but with the Ballard regime doing well to re-sign its own homegrown talent, it is not surprising this tag drought may soon end.

If the Colts can reach an agreement by 3pm CT, they will avoid a $21.8MM cap hold going on their books. This deadline has spurred action in the recent past, but no extension for a tag candidate has surfaced today. Pittman would be the eighth player franchise-tagged during this year’s two-week window.

Ballard has done well to keep his cornerstone players on extensions. Since taking over, the eighth-year GM has extended Ryan Kelly, Quenton Nelson, Braden Smith, Shaquille Leonard, Kenny Moore, Grover Stewart and Jonathan Taylor. The former rushing champion’s messy extension process overshadowed Pittman’s contract year, which proved vital to a Colts team frequently playing without its top back. Pittman produced career-high numbers in receptions (109) and yards (1,152) last season, helping a Colts team down Anthony Richardson for most of the season.

It is certainly possible Richardson’s injury helped Pittman compile solid stats last year, with Gardner Minshew a readier passer compared to the raw but promising rookie. Minshew indeed looked Pittman’s way often, giving the former second-round pick his second 1,000-yard season. The Colts chose Pittman before Taylor four years ago, selecting him 34th — one spot after Tee Higgins. Showing the value wideouts bring, neither player will be headed to free agency. The Bengals were the first team to use a tag this year, cuffing Higgins in February.

Without a veteran quarterback on the roster, the Colts can better afford expenditures like a Taylor extension and Pittman tag. Ballard’s team generally avoids big-ticket free agency moves, however, and came into Tuesday with more than $70MM in cap space. That number would shrink if Pittman is tagged, but the sides still have more than an hour to reach an extension.

Colts Planning To Keep Michael Pittman Jr., Prepared To Use Franchise Tag

February 28th, 2024 at 10:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Colts have not used the franchise tag since the Ryan Grigson regime kept Pat McAfee off the market in 2013. It appears Chris Ballard is prepared to go to that well to ensure Michael Pittman Jr. stays.

Ballard said (via the Indianapolis Star’s Joel Erickson) the team’s top wide receiver will be a Colt one way or another come September. The eighth-year Indianapolis GM did not confirm (via Erickson) he would use the franchise tag on Pittman, but this subsequent proclamation effectively ensures the team is prepared to do so.

In talks with Pittman’s agent, the Colts have until 3pm CT on March 5 to apply their franchise tag. If they do not tag the former second-round pick, the team’s exclusive negotiating rights expire at 11am CT on March 11. It does not sound like the Colts are prepared to chance Pittman entering the legal tampering period without a deal. The tag would give the parties until July 15 to hammer out an extension.

Not known for excessive free agency spending, the Ballard-era Colts have done well to keep their homegrown talent off the market. The Colts have extended cornerstone starters Ryan Kelly, Braden Smith, Quenton Nelson, Grover Stewart, Shaquille Leonard, Kenny Moore and Jonathan Taylor on Ballard’s watch. The Taylor matter became quite messy, but he indeed was signed before debuting in his fourth season. The Pittman matter has drifted a bit off track, with the 1,000-yard receiver playing out his rookie contract. That opens the door to the tag scenario.

Just after Taylor debuted, Pittman made comments alluding to the team perhaps not being committed to him. Although he was technically auditioning for 31 other teams during his contract year, the second-generation NFL skill player is on track to work with Anthony Richardson in 2024. This does represent a bit of a blow for Pittman. With Tee Higgins being tagged, Pittman could have been the top wide receiver on the market. Given where the salary cap went, a monster second contract would have awaited the 6-foot-4 target. But the Colts’ track record of paying their own does point to a big extension — albeit one that might not come to fruition for a bit this year.

Given Richardson’s status as a raw passer, his season-ending injury may well have benefited Pittman. The USC alum posted career-high numbers with Gardner Minshew targeting him, tallying 109 receptions for 1,152 yards. That was Pittman’s second 1,000-yard year; he got there with Carson Wentz at the controls two seasons ago. Asked to be the Colts’ No. 1 wideout fairly early in his career, as T.Y. Hilton injuries piled up, Pittman has delivered on the No. 34 overall pick — one slot after Higgins — the Colts used in 2020.

With Richardson on a rookie deal, the Colts have some luxuries they have not enjoyed in recent years due to the brigade of veteran QBs to stop through. Pittman, 26, looms as an essential player for the team, which has looked to him as a clear WR1. Though, younger cogs Josh Downs and Alec Pierce held their own in 2023. While the Colts may tinker with their receiving setup on the whole, they want Pittman back to anchor it.

Latest On Colts, WR Michael Pittman Jr.

January 13th, 2024 at 8:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

The 2024 free agent class has the potential to boast a number of young wideouts, including Michael Pittman Jr. A new deal for the Colts’ top pass catcher is a priority for the team, but his comments on his situation suggest he would be interested in at least examining his outside market, something complicated by the likelihood of him remaining in Indianapolis for at least one more season.

Pittman has been a model of consistency during his time on a Colts offense which has struggled to find a long-term answer at the QB spot. The former second-rounder has posted at least 925 yards in each of the past three seasons, and he had a career-year in 2023. Pittman ranked fifth in the NFL with 109 catches, totaling 1,052 yards and four touchdowns. Remaining the focal point of the team’s passing game, he drew double-digit targets in a game nine times this season.

Those figures have helped the 26-year-old’s market value ahead of his first career trip to free agency. Pittman could be in line to join a number of other high-profile receivers who have benefitted from the position’s sharp increase in value over the past two years. A lucrative payday will come his way either via a multi-year deal with the Colts or another interested team or the $21.66MM franchise tag. The USC alum is well aware there could be a market for his services outside of Indianapolis.

“I’ve loved my four years here, but I wouldn’t be doing my due diligence if I didn’t explore every option and find the best fit,” Pittman said, via Nate Atkins of the Indy Star. “I think we want to get a sense of what’s out there. We had an agreement that we were going to wait until the season ends before we feel it out.”

Now that the Colts’ season has ended, it will indeed be interesting to see how much progress is made as it pertains to talks on a new deal. Pittman’s comment about exploring other options is notable given the NFL’s offseason calendar. The deadline for teams to apply the one-year franchise tag is March 5, which comes before the new league year (and thus free agency) begins. Any team would therefore only be able to acquire Pittman – or any other tag recipient – by working out a trade contingent on having an extension in place upon arrival. Players are usually averse to playing on the tag, but Pittman added he “wouldn’t say necessarily no” with respect to the idea of playing out the 2024 season with free agency looming once again.

When speaking about Pittman, general manager Chris Ballard said the Colts are prepared to use the tag if talks do not produce a long-term deal. Such a move will not become official (if necessary) until next month at the earliest, but in any case Pittman is an obvious candidate for a contract pairing him with running back Jonathan Taylor (who landed a new pact after his public trade request this summer) and first-round quarterback Anthony Richardson for the long term. Ballard confirmed his desire to work out an agreement which will keep that trio intact.

“I care deeply about him,” the latter said of Pittman, via a separate Atkins piece. “We have a really good relationship. It’s an honest one… The guy is competitive. He’s tough. He cares. He wants to win. We’re going to work to get him back… Pitt is a good football player for us and hopefully he still remains a Colt.”

Players who receive a franchise tag are eligible to continue negotiating a deal until mid-July. The status of talks with Pittman will be worth watching closely, especially if the tag becomes necessary and/or a tag-and-trade market emerges.

Colts Expect Jonathan Taylor To Return In Week 16

December 22nd, 2023 at 2:59pm CST by Adam La Rose

Jonathan Taylor has been sidelined since Week 12 due to a torn UCL in his thumb, but he could be on the verge of returning to the lineup. Head coach Shane Steichen announced the team’s top running back is expected to play in Week 16.

Indianapolis’ upcoming game against the Falcons was recently reported as a realistic spot for Taylor to return to action, so Steichen’s update comes as little surprise. Still, his addition to the lineup will be a welcomed development as the Colts continue their playoff push. Taylor (who has no injury designation after practicing in full this week) has been limited to seven games in 2023 while dealing with multiple injuries.

That includes the ankle ailment which lasted through Taylor’s turbulent contract talks. In the end, he landed a three-year, $42MM extension, raising expectations for his short- and long-term production. The 24-year-old has yet to reach 100 rushing yards in a game this season, however, and his 4.1 yards per carry average is the lowest of his career. Improving in that regard could help the 8-6 Colts stay in contention for a wild-card berth or even the top spot in the AFC South as the season winds down.

Taylor could handle a heavy workload if he is able to play on Sunday, particularly if Zack Moss is unavailable. The latter suffered a shoulder injury in Week 15, and he was forced to leave the win against the Steelers after just four carries. Moss has had a strong season to date, and the Colts enjoyed signficant success on the ground with Trey Sermon and Tyler Goodson last week. Still, Taylor would provide another high-end option in the backfield to close out the season.

Steichen also revealed on Sunday that wideout Michael Pittman Jr. has cleared concussion protocol. That puts him on track to play against Atlanta on Sunday, a game in which Indianapolis could be at or close to full strength in the skill-position department.

Colts WR Michael Pittman Jr. Addresses Contract Status

October 15th, 2023 at 9:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Colts put an end to the Jonathan Taylor contract saga earlier this month, but more work remains to be done in the near future on the extension front. Wideout Michael Pittman Jr. is set to hit free agency at the end of the season, and he recently spoke about his contract status.

Pittman is playing the fourth and final year of his rookie pact, and as a former second-round pick the fifth-year option is not in play. The 26-year-old will thus need to ink a new Colts agreement between now and the new league year in March or face the possibility of heading elsewhere on what will no doubt be a signficant second contract. He has previously expressed a desire to remain in Indianapolis.

“The way I see it is teams take care of their guys,” Pittman said, via Nate Atkins of the Indy Star. “If you’re not one of their guys, you’re not one of their guys. I’m just playing day to day and auditioning for 31 teams and just going out there and making a couple plays. I have a commitment to my teammates.”

Those remarks illustrate how the USC alum is aware of his potential market if he reaches free agency. Pittman eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in 2021, then followed that up with a 99-catch, 925-yard performance last season. His 297 receiving yards through five games entering Sunday’s action lead the Colts, a team which has been in search of complimentary options to Pittman over the past few years.

That effort has resulted in the likes of Alec Pierce and Josh Downs being drafted on Day 2 of the past two drafts, but extending Pittman for the foreseeable future would allow Indianapolis to retain its pass-catching anchor. Doing so will no doubt require a sizeable multi-year investment given his production and the overall landscape at the receiver position, with several players routinely landing eight figures per year on extensions. As a result of the upward trend at the WR spot, a Pittman franchise tag would cost the Colts roughly $23MM.

Pittman added that he is content to play out the remainder of the season without a 2024 agreement in place. As a result, his performances with backup Gardner Minshew at quarterback for the the time being will be worth watching with respect to how it affects his bargaining position.

Michael Pittman Jr. Seeking Colts Extension

August 3rd, 2023 at 1:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

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.

Colts WR Michael Pittman Jr. Won’t Play Sunday

September 17th, 2022 at 12:17pm CST by Ben Levine

The Colts will have to take on the Jaguars tomorrow without their top wideout. The team announced that wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. has been downgraded to out for tomorrow’s game.

Pittman suffered a quad injury during practice on Wednesday and sat out the rest of the week. It doesn’t sound like the injury is a long-term concern, and there’s a chance he’ll play next weekend against the Chiefs.

The 2020 second-round pick made a name for himself in 2021 after finishing with 1,082 receiving yards and six touchdowns. It didn’t take long for him to build chemistry with Matt Ryan. In Week 1, Pittman hauled in nine of his 13 targets for 121 yards and one touchdown.

The rest of the Colts wide receivers were limited to a combined eight receptions last weekend, so Indy will need someone to step up tomorrow against Jacksonville. The rest of the Colts receiving depth chart consists of Parris Campbell, Ashton Dulin, Mike Strachan, and Dezmon Patmon. Receiver Alec Pierce will also miss tomorrow’s game, so there’s a good chance Indy promotes a fifth receiver from the practice squad (a grouping that includes Ethan Fernea and Keke Coutee).

In addition to Pittman and Pierce, linebacker Shaquille Leonard has also been ruled out for tomorrow’s game.

Colts Activate WR Michael Pittman Jr.

October 31st, 2020 at 12:39pm CST by Ben Levine

The Colts will receive a boost to their passing game this weekend. The team announced this morning that they’ve activated wideout Michael Pittman Jr. from injured reserve. To make room, the team has waived receiver Daurice Fountain.

Following a standout career at USC that saw him earn a pair of first team All-Pac-12 honors, Pittman was selected in the second round (No. 34) of this past year’s draft. He appeared in each of Indy’s first three games (including one start), hauling in nine receptions for 73 yards. He also led all Colts receivers in snaps during their Week 2 win over the Vikings.

The 23-year-old was placed on IR in early October after being diagnosed with compartment syndrome in his calf. The rookie should slide back into a depth chart that’s currently led by T.Y. Hilton and Zach Pascal.

Fountain was a fifth-round pick by the Colts back in 2018. He was limited to only a single game during his first two years in the NFL, but he’s seen time in four games this season, hauling in a pair of catches for 23 yards.

Colts Activate Trey Burton From IR

October 3rd, 2020 at 3:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

Trey Burton will don a Colts game uniform for the first time Sunday. The Colts activated the tight end from IR Saturday and moved Michael Pittman Jr. to the injured list.

Indianapolis signed Burton this offseason but saw him run into more injury trouble. A calf strain during camp resulted in the former Eagles and Bears tight end missing the Colts’ first three games.

The seventh-year pass catcher dealt with injuries last season, leading to his Chicago stay ending after two years. He underwent sports hernia surgery in 2019 and ended up on IR during the season because of a calf malady. Burton caught just 14 passes for 84 yards last season. However, in 16 Bears games in 2018, the former “Philly Special” passer caught 54 passes for 569 yards and six touchdowns. Burton will join Jack Doyle and the emerging Mo Alie-Cox in Indianapolis’ suddenly crowded tight end corps.

The Colts will need their tight end group healthy; their receiving corps has absorbed some key losses. Pittman underwent surgery after developing compartment syndrome in his calf. The surgery went well, however, and the rookie wideout could be back when eligible (Week 8, following the Colts’ Week 7 bye). For the next two games, however, Philip Rivers will be down Pittman and slot target Parris Campbell. The latter will likely miss more time than Pittman, having suffered MCL and PCL damage.

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