Michael Pittman, Jr., son of former NFL star Michael Pittman, Sr. of the Buccaneers, is a starting wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts. He was a four-star recruit out of Oaks Christian School in California. He dominated his senior year of high school, compiling 1,990 yards and 24 touchdowns—354 yards and five TDs in his final game. After initially committing to UCLA, he eventually ended up at the University of Southern California. At USC, Pittman did not truly emerge until his junior year. He caught 41 balls for 758 yards and six touchdowns in his third college season, hitting the breakout threshold at 20.9 years old.
After initially deciding to forgo his senior season, he opted to return for a final year and his college stats again popped. He compiled 101 receptions for 1,275 yards and 11 touchdowns, finishing as a finalist for the Fred Biletnikoff Award and winning the Pop Warner Award. As the 2020 NFL Draft grew closer, Pittman’s stock rose. He put up a 111.2 Speed Score with a 4.52 40 at 6’4 and 223 pounds. Teams saw in Pittman the potential of a true Number One Receiver. The Colts pulled the trigger early in the second round at 2.02.
With T.Y. Hilton and Parris Campbell on the roster, the Colts needed a receiver with size. Pittman saw greater than a 70-percent Snap Share in all but one game when healthy, but displayed inconsistent production. A large reason was the 5.01 (No. 80) Target Quality Rating from Phillip Rivers. Things improved during Pittman's sophomore campaign, however, with Carson Wentz at quarterback. Pittman was a jack of all trades and a master of none. He ranked inside the top-30 in nearly every measurable category, finishing as WR22 in fantasy points per game in 2021.
2022 brought more inconsistent for production for Pittman with an aging Matt Ryan at quarterback. Ryan was accurate throwing the ball to Pittman with a 85.1-percent Catchable Target Rate, but he was not pushing the ball downfield. Pittman had a 6.9 (No. 92) ADOT, which capped his production. Pittman took a massive step behind the play calling from Shane Steichen and the passing production of Anthony Richardson and Gardener Minshew. He set career highs in targets (156), receptions (109), and receiving yards (1152). The Colts did add A.D. Mitchell in the draft, so Pittman could experience a slight dip in targets, but he is the clear alpha on this team with an ascending quarterback.
