The Indianapolis Colts are taking on the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday in Week 5 of the 2026 NFL season.
It initially seemed like it’d be an intriguing clash with former Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr.
The schedule set up for that matchup not long after the Colts traded Pittman to the Steelers in the offseason.
It turns out that won’t actually get to take place on Sunday, though.
Yes, the Colts are playing the Steelers.
But no, Pittman won’t be taking part.
Why Isn’t Michael Pittman Playing Today?
Pittman isn’t playing against the Colts on Sunday because he is injured.
The Steelers actually placed Pittman on injured reserve on Saturday. That means he’ll have to miss at least their next four games.
Pittman’s injury is a foot problem, and it’s his second absence of the season.
The Steelers were already without Pittman in Week 2, and so now he’ll miss another four games.
The Pittsburgh WR group will be led in the rain by DK Metcalf on Sunday. They’ll also have Roman Wilson and Germie Bernard figuring to play a solid role.
Pittman hadn’t been that impactful this season to begin with, so maybe his absence won’t be a big deal. It just deprives the Colts of a chance to play against their former wideout.
Michael Pittman Stats With Steelers
Pittman hasn’t yet lived up to his billing as the guy who was supposed to team up with Metcalf to give QB Aaron Rodgers two strong targets.
His best game of the season so far came in Week 1. Rodgers threw to Pittman three times, and he caught all three for 58 yards.
Pittman then sat out week 2, ruining his early-season rhythm.
In Week 3, Pittman came back and was targeted five times, but he had just two catches for 16 yards.
It was about the same in Week 4, as Pittman got four targets but had just two catches for 15 yards.
Wilson seems to have leapfrogged Pittman right from the start of this season.
Colts Could Use Pittman
The Colts do seem like they could still use Pittman, though, who they opted not to pay in favor of paying Alec Pierce this offseason.
Pierce is also on IR, so neither of them are playing on Sunday.
The Colts did get Keenan Allen back from injury in Week 5, but Ashton Dulin and Darius Slayton are both out hurt. It’s not ideal for Indy, but they are making do with what they have.
Why Michael Pittman Isn’t Playing vs. Colts After Steelers Injury Decision