The Pittsburgh Steelers traded for Michael Pittman Jr. this offseason in an effort to improve the wide receiver options that Aaron Rodgers can choose from.
So far, it hasn’t worked out.
Pittman has missed one game with injury and been quiet in the other two.
The Steelers have begun the season 2-1 and are hoping to build on that when they play on Thursday Night Football in Week 4 against the Cleveland Browns.
Pittman will simply hope to be better than he has been so far. Rodgers and the Steelers’ offense could certainly use the help.
Is Michael Pittman Playing?
So far this season, there have been both stretches in which it has felt like Pittman wasn’t playing and stretches in which he actually wasn’t playing.
He missed Week 2 with an injury, but he returned in Week 3, and he’s good to go for Week 4 against the Browns.
That doesn’t mean he’ll be a focal point of the offense, but he should be on the field.
The Steelers got Pittman to play a big role with DK Metcalf, who they traded for a year earlier. In the early going, though, it has actually felt like Roman Wilson might be Rodgers’ favorite target.
Michael Pittman Jr. Stats Breakdown
Pittman simply hasn’t had a huge influence on games in the early going.
His Week 1 wasn’t a bad start. He was targeted three times and caught all three for 58 yards. Rodgers connected with Pittman on a 28-yard completion, a sign of potentially good things to come.
Pittman missed Week 2, though, stunting his momentum as he dealt with the always annoying plantar fasciitis, a foot problem.
He was questionable for Week 3 but did return. His impact was almost null, though, as he caught just 2-of-5 targets for 16 yards — a pair of 8-yard catches, as it turns out.
Wilson was targeted more in both games that Pittman played, so this hasn’t been as straightforward as the new guy simply vaulting near the top of the depth chart.
Michael Pittman Trade Details
The trade between the Colts and Steelers was agreed to on March 9, 2026.
The Colts acquired a 2026 sixth-round pick, No. 214 overall. The Steelers got Pittman and a 2026 seventh-round pick, No. 230 overall.
Why Did Colts Trade Michael Pittman?
The Colts traded Pittman because they couldn’t afford him.
They signed fellow receiver Alec Pierce to a four-year, $114 million contract extension, and with that, the writing was on the wall.
Pittman was facing a $29 million cap hit for the 2026 season, and the Colts got themselves out from under that deal.
The Steelers then signed Pittman to a three-year, $59 million extension.
So far, Pittman hasn’t paid off for the Steelers, although Pierce is dinged up in Indy to make the net impact feel like a brutally negative wash in the early going.
Inside Michael Pittman’s Slow Start After Colts-Steelers Trade