Michael Pittman at his introductory press conference on March 13, 2026. — Pittsburgh Steelers
PITTSBURGH — The wide receiver room was a point of concern for the Pittsburgh Steelers last season. Outside of DK Metcalf, quarterback Aaron Rodgers had precious little to work with, tossing passes to Calvin Austin, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Roman Wilson, and even Scotty Miller.
With 2025 in the rear view, Pittsburgh went out and acquired a legitimate Robin to Metcalf’s Batman by trading for Michael Pittman Jr.
Pittman is a fascinating player. The 28-year-old has racked up over 1,000 yards twice in his career, and has not dipped below 750 yards since his rookie campaign. He played with a variety of quarterbacks in Indianapolis: Philip Rivers, Carson Wentz, Matt Ryan, Sam Ehlinger, Nick Foles, Anthony Richardson, Gardner Minshew, Joe Flacco, Daniel Jones, and Riley Leonard.
In Pittsburgh, Pittman looks forward to working with an all-time great at the quarterback position.
“He made a couple of great throws (in practice), and I was like, wow, I’m really playing with Aaron,” Pittman said. “I get to play with another Hall of Fame quarterback, because I got to play with Philip Rivers.”
Pittman was the Colts’ 34th overall pick in 2020, and has met if not exceeded that value with over 5,200 career receiving yards. Pittman’s scoring peaked in 2025, when he hauled in seven touchdown catches.
Pittman is a big receiver, similar to Metcalf; but he is shiftier and more versatile on short-to-intermediate routes. He did have six drops last season, but overall he brings size, physicality, and athleticism, and could graft well into a WR2 role, where he is under less pressure to consistently command a high volume of targets.
The Steelers’ offense will be significantly retooled this season, with Pittman and rookie Germie Bernard added to the receiver core, Rico Dowdle boosting the ground game, and a new-look offensive line factoring in rookies Gennings Dunker and Max Iheanachor.
With Rodgers returning for his ultimate season as a pro, Pittman will figure significantly into the team’s offensive plans.
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (11) breaks Houston Texans cornerback Alijah Huzzie (36) tackle and dives for the end zone in the second half at NRG Stadium on Jan. 4, 2026. Thomas Shea /Imagn ImagesCredit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images
Acquired: The Steelers brought in Pittman via a late-round pick swap with the Colts, receiving a seventh-round pick and sending a sixth-round pick. The Steelers inked Pittman to a three-year deal, and used the 7th-rounder to acquire Eli Heidenreich.
Last Year: Pittman nabbed 784 receiving yards, which was third on the team behind Alec Pierce and Tyler Warren. He paced the team with seven touchdowns, and caught 80 passes on 111 targets. He was healthy, playing in all 17 games.
Pro Career: Pittman has been an above-average receiver throughout his career. He has been something of an ironman, playing 16 or 17 games in every season except his rookie year, when he played 13 games. He has caught 25 career touchdowns, racked up 5,254 receiving yards, and has notched 100 rushing yards on 11 carries.
MICHAEL PITTMAN NFL CAREER STATS
YEARTEAMGPRECTGTSYDSAVGTDLNGFDFUMLST2020IND13406150312.614522002021IND17881291,08212.365754102022IND16991419259.342851212023IND161091561,15210.647553102024IND166911180811.733335112025IND17801117849.87274700
MICHAEL PITTMAN COLLEGE CAREER
Pittman racked up 2,519 receiving yards and 20 total touchdowns in four years at the University of Southern California. As a senior in 2019, he made the AP All-American, Phil Steele, The Athletic and Walter Camp All-American second teams. He also made the All-Pac-12 first team that year. Pittman racked up a career-high 232 receiving yards in a 2019 game against Utah.
Pittman played 48 games for the Trojans. He missed three games at the start of 2017 due to a high ankle sprain.
MICHAEL PITTMAN COLLEGE STATS
YEARTEAMGPRECYDSAVGTDLNG2016USC1368213.70212017USC112340417.62542018USC114175818.56652019USC131011,27512.61177
MICHAEL PITTMAN PRE-DRAFT TESTING
As measured at the 2020 NFL Combine: 6-foot-4, 223 pounds; 4.52-second 40-yard dash, 2.68-second 20-yard split, 1.61-second 10-yard split; 4.14-second shuttle, 6.96-second three-cone drill; 36.5-inch vertical, 10-foot-1 broad jump. Pittman had a Relative Athletic Score of 8.24 out of 10.
SALARY CAP AND CONTRACT
Pittman will earn $1.3 million in base salary from the Steelers this season, taking up 2.8% of the cap. His two-year extension kicks in next season, and he will eat up 8% of the cap then and 6.8% of the cap in 2028. His total contract value is $35 million with $24 million guaranteed, per Over the Cap.
ODDS AND ENDS
Pittman attended Oaks Christian High School in Westlake Village, CA. The Woodland Hills, Calif., native made the Max Preps All-American first team as a high-school senior. Pittman is an avid fisherman; he frequently posts pictures of his catches on Instagram, and has already begun scouting fishing spots in the Pittsburgh area.
MORE STEELERS ALL-90
Alan Saunders provided reporting from Pittsburgh.
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