The Pittsburgh Steelers seemed to land wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. for a very cheap price on the trade market Monday. But the exact trade compensation for the wideout didn’t come out until late in the day.
Steelers insider Mark Kaboly reported late Monday the team agreed to send one of their sixth-round picks to the Colts for Pittman and an Indianapolis seventh-round choice.
Early Tuesday, NFL insider Albert Breer confirmed that compensation with his own report. Kaboly called the move from the Colts perspective “a salary dump.”
• Steelers get: WR Michael Pittman, seventh-round pick.
• Colts get: Sixth-round pick.
Technically, there’s still more details to come on the trade. Neither insider reported whether the draft picks exchanged will be in 2026 or 2027.
Furthermore, the Steelers have two sixth-round picks. It’s not clear which one is headed to Indianapolis.
But from the general fan’s perspective, it doesn’t really matter. Pittman is coming to Pittsburgh for a very cheap trade price.
UPDATE: The Indianapolis Star’s Nathan Brown reported the Steelers sent one of their sixth-round compensatory picks (either No. 214 or 216) to the Colts for Pittman and the No. 230 pick in the seventh round.
Michael Pittman Trade Compensation for Steelers
Getting an established starting 28-year-old wide receiver in a trade that involved only a late draft pick swap is great in any world. It’s even better when considering what other receivers have cost on the trade market.
On March 5, the Buffalo Bills acquired veteran receiver D.J. Moore from the Chicago Bears. The Bills also received a draft pick in exchange — a 2026 fifth-rounder. But the Bills agreed to send Chicago their 2026 second-rounder.
Pundits and fans compared the two trades after the Steelers landed Pittman on Monday.
“The Steelers knew the Colts wanted off of Michael Pittman and got him for a late round pick swap,” wrote Air Raid Buffalo on X. “The Bills knew the Bears wanted off of DJ Moore and it cost them a second round pick. Food for thought.”
Another Buffalo sports podcaster didn’t directly comment on the compensation from the two trades. But he posted the statistics the two receivers have produced the past five years in a side-by-side comparison.
Admittedly, Moore probably has more versatility than Pittman. Moore has also been a better big-play threat. Moore has averaged 13.5 yards per catch in his career while Pittman has posted 10.8.
The difference in the two trades from a salary perspective could have also influenced the trade compensation.
“The Bills will be guaranteeing $15.5 million of Moore’s $23.5 million base salary in 2028, agents Drew Rosenhaus and Robert Bailey told Schefter,” ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg and Courtney Cronin wrote. “Moore’s $23.5 million base salary in 2026 is fully guaranteed, and his 2027 base salary, also $23.5 million, becomes fully guaranteed next week.”
The Steelers had to sign Pittman to a new 3-year, $59 million contract after the trade.
But both receivers will turn 29 during this year. They each came from teams that wanted to trade them and landed in spots where they will be great help to their new teams.
Yet, unlike the Bills, the Steelers executed their receiver trade without impacting their Day 1 or 2 draft capital.
What Pittman Brings to Steelers
Even some Steelers pundits admitted Monday they were thinking bigger than Pittman with a wide receiver trade this offseason.
The concern with the former Colts receiver is he has seen his production decline each of the past two seasons. In 2025, he averaged just 9.8 yards per reception.
At the end of the day, though, Pittman is a significant upgrade over what the Steelers have had at WR2 the past two years. Pittsburgh’s No. 2 wideout in 2025 had just 372 yards.
Pittman has averaged more than 2.5 times that amount throughout his career. That’s including his rookie season when he had just 503 receiving yards.
Even if Pittman averages around 10 yards per catch, he could be a great asset paired with D.K. Metcalf. In the right offense, Metcalf is a candidate to be among the leaders in yards per reception.
Despite no other receivers to draw away safeties and a 40-plus-year-old quarterback, Metcalf averaged 14.4 yards per catch last year.
NFL Insiders Confirm Steelers Paid Dirt Cheap Price in Michael Pittman Jr. Trade