Colts' Michael Pittman Jr. Living 'Every Player's Dream' With New Deal
After the Indianapolis Colts placed the franchise tag on their star wide receiver, fans wondered how long it would take before Michael Pittman Jr. would get his long-term deal.
The answer was not very long at all. The Colts and Pittman agreed to a three-year, $70 million contract extension with $46 million guaranteed on Monday. The deal makes Pittman the eighth-highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL in average annual value and keeps him in Indy through the 2026 season.
Bringing back Pittman was a no-brainer for the Colts. General manager Chris Ballard made it clear the Colts wanted to hold on to the wide receiver they took No.34 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft. And ultimately, staying in Indy was what Pittman wanted all along as well.
"Obviously it’s great being signed by the team that drafted you," Pittman said on Wednesday. "I think that’s every player’s dream, is to stay with the same team their whole time playing. I still have a long time left in my head. Hopefully I can do it again in three years.”
Pittman was only 22 years old on the night the Colts made him an NFL player. At that point, much of the world still knew him as "Michael Pittman's son." He had not created an identity for himself outside of the USC fanbase.
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Now 26, much has changed for the wide receiver. Pittman has gone from the son of a former player to one of the top wide receivers in the NFL. He and his wife, Kianna, were married and now have two young children. The common denominator is all of these things have happened in Indianapolis.
“When I think back, all of my greatest life moments have been here," Pittman elaborated. "I got married here, I had both of my kids here, I bought my first house here. I just have a lot of major life moments just tied here. It’s great that I can call this place home.”
But Pittman's return to Indy was not always a guarantee. Pittman did voice his desire to see what other offers were out there in free agency so he could make the best decision for himself and his family. It never got that far because of the franchise tag, as the Colts did not want to risk losing him to another team.
"They weren’t going to let me do that," Pittman laughed. "Yeah no, Chris didn’t let me. I kind of knew the whole time that this was going to happen.”
In reality, he ended up in the best place for him anyway. Pittman has improved every season with the Colts. He has blossomed into a bonafide WR1 and someone defenses have to be aware of on every play.
Pittman is coming off a career year in head coach Shane Steichen's offense. The wide receiver hauled in a career-high 109 catches for 1,152 yards, another career-high, and four touchdowns. Pittman became the fourth player in Colts' history to have over 100 catches in a season, joining Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, and Dallas Clark.
Steichen made Pittman a priority in his offense, and that will only continue moving forward. That is all Pittman can ask for, and it will be on him to make the winning plays for his team.
"I think the system works for me and I think that’s what every player looks for," Pittman explained. "Obviously, I know that I’m going to get the ball in this offense, which is what every receiver wants. Just do what I can to help us win, help us win games, get into the playoffs and see where it goes.”
"The one thing I do respect about Pitt is that he’s going to show up and you know what you’re getting every Sunday," Steichen said last week. "You’re going to get a guy that is going to go make plays and you’re going to get the same guy on the practice field that you’re going to get in the meeting rooms, that you’re going to get on game day on Sunday. To have that type of guy on our football team is huge going forward.”
Consistency at the most important position in football will also be huge for Pittman. The Colts feel like they have finally found the answer at quarterback with Anthony Richardson. Although they only played in four games together last season due to Richardson's injuries, Pittman has seen the potential and believes they can take each other's game to new heights.
“I think we’re just going to open it up," Pittman admitted. "With AR coming back, we get a guy we’ve had for two years straight and we’re really going to see what he can do – all of his talent. I’m just looking forward to accenting him and making him the best player that he can be and him making me the best player that I can be.”
Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Pittman has continued to improve every season despite inconsistencies at quarterback. In just four years, Pittman has caught passes from seven different quarterbacks. It takes time to form a connection with a new quarterback. That will not be necessary in 2024 with Richardson.
"Just having that relationship prior. Just being able to come into camp and be like, ‘You know what type of player I am and I know what type of player you are.’ You kind of get a feel for each other’s strengths and you can strengthen that," Pittman commented. "That’s what I’m most looking forward to.”
As we look forward to the 2024 season, Richardson is still working back to form after season-ending shoulder surgery. Richardson has begun throwing again, and Pittman has stayed in touch with his quarterback. Whenever Richardson is back to full strength this spring, Pittman will be ready to welcome back his QB1 with open arms.
“Yeah, he’s not throwing full-bore yet," Pittman remarked about Richardson. "He’s getting ready to be a father so I think he’s been hanging around here. But I’ve been back and forth with him. I texted him yesterday. We talk pretty much weekly. I’m just checking up on him to see where he’s at because once he’s ready to go, then it’s go time.”
Having consistency at quarterback will be another first for Pittman during his time in Indianapolis. As he stated at the Colts' facility on Wednesday, Indy is where Pittman and his wife had their first child, bought their first house, and settled down with a new family. It is also where he first experienced the NFL, scored his first touchdown, and signed his first big-time contract.
And all of those things have allowed Pittman to call Indianapolis home, and in his words, live "every player's dream" both now and for years to come.
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