Forecasting the Possibility of Michael Pittman Jr.’s Colts Contract Extension.
Star wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. is scheduled to become a free agency in a few months, thus the Indianapolis Colts will have to make a significant decision.
Pittman has developed into the best receiving option for the Colts since being selected in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. The former Trojan from USC has maintained his productive streak amid quarterback instability. In four seasons, Pittman has caught passes from seven different quarterbacks.
Pittman has 336 catches for 3,662 yards and 15 touchdowns in his career. Pittman, who recorded 109 catches for 1,152 yards and four scores in 2023, is also coming off a great year. Pittman’s opportunity to perform at his peak was ideal because he was about to sign a new contract.
Pittman’s contract expires in March, but the Colts have made it clear that they would like to sign him to a long-term extension. Pittman would also wish to rejoin the team that selected him in the fourth round four years prior. What will it take to retain Pittman in Indianapolis for the foreseeable future is the question.
Let’s look at how the Colts have handled wide receiver signings in recent years and what players similar to Pittman’s level have signed for to help predict the details of a potential extension.
Chris Ballard, who joined the Colts as general manager in 2017, has been cautious when it comes to wide receiver compensation. He has concentrated on short-term contracts that offer low-risk, high-reward scenarios, but the results haven’t been great. Isaiah McKenzie (2023): One-year, $1.23 million deal; Ashton Dulin (2023): Two-year, $7.2 million deal; T.Y. Hilton (2021): One-year, $8 million deal; Zach Pascal (2021): One-year, $3.38 million deal; Devin Funchess (2019): One-year, $10 million deal; Ryan Grant (2018): One-year, $5 million deal; Kamar Aiken (2017): One-year, $2.6 million deal.
Following their contract signings, none of these wide receivers achieved high levels of production. Hilton and Pascal had the best games in 2021, totaling over 300 yards and three touchdowns apiece.
However, Pittman’s circumstance is very different from this one. As the top receiving option for the Colts, Pittman is about to enter his peak. He will remain the center of the Colts’ passing attack if he comes back.
Nor should the lesser value of the contract Ballard gave wide receivers be cause for concern. When it comes to re-signing his finest players, Ballard has shown no qualms about paying top price. The first names that spring to mind are Grover Stewart, Braden Smith, Quenton Nelson, and Jonathan Taylor.
“I care deeply about him,” Ballard said about Pittman. “We have a really good relationship. It’s an honest one – almost too honest I think sometimes. But that’s what I love about him. The guy is competitive. He’s tough. He cares. He wants to win. We’re going to work to get him back. We’ll work through that. … Pitt is a good football player for us and hopefully he still remains a Colt.”
