The Indianapolis Colts and Pittsburgh Steelers made a trade in the offseason that has a chance to have an impact on two division title races.
Indy sent wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. to Pittsburgh. It both altered the look of the Colts‘ WR depth chart while giving the Steelers a strong complement to the talented wideout DK Metcalf.
If the Colts struggle to move the ball in the air in the 2026 NFL season, it could be because they’re missing Pittman.
If Aaron Rodgers finds new life as a quarterback this season, it could be because he now has Metcalf and Pittman to throw to.
Maybe the move ends up meaning less than these teams would’ve hoped, but it definitely has a chance at mattering quite a bit.
Michael Pittman Trade Details
The trade 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.
In some ways, Indianapolis chose the younger playmaker Pierce over Pittman. In an alternate world, they could’ve chosen to pay Pittman, but that never really seemed to be in the cards.
Pittman played his first six NFL seasons in Indianapolis. He had 5,254 yards and 25 touchdowns with the Colts, including seven TDs in 2025.
Pierce won out in the pecking order, though, and that meant Pittman got shipped out of town.
Why Did Steelers Trade for Michael Pittman?
The Steelers’ need was obvious. Metcalf had been the WR1 in 2025, but there really was not a No. 2 wide receiver to be found.
Pittman takes on that role, and now Rodgers has two big, strong, physical receivers to target with the football.
By bringing Rodgers back for another year, the Steelers are clearly in win-now mode, and so they made this trade for Pittman to help that.
It also cost almost nothing — just a drop of 16 spots late in the 2026 NFL Draft — and so as long as Pittsburgh could make the money worth, it was a positive move to bring the talented Pittman aboard both to help Rodgers and also whoever the team’s next quarterback ends up being.
A year earlier, the Steelers had traded away George Pickens and traded for Metcalf. They’ve been active in shaping the wide receiver room the way they want it, and now it’s a lot closer to being a group they can feel proud of.
Why Colts Traded Michael Pittman to Steelers