This has been a frustrating, topsy-turvy season for Michael Pittman Jr. and the Indianapolis Colts, who are on the edge of playoff contention right now with a 5-5 record.
The year started with star running back Jonathan Taylor‘s holdout in training camp in an attempt to secure a lucrative contract extension. He and the team finally agreed to a three-year, $42 million extension, and in the last few weeks, he has shown signs of returning to his old productive self.
Starting rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 5, forcing Gardner Minshew II to take over under center. Somehow, the Colts have won their last two games, and they will have their bye this week before two relatively winnable games in the following two weeks.
The one constant for them has been wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. Through 10 games, he has 677 receiving yards and three touchdowns, and while he isn’t generally considered an elite receiver, he does rank at the top of one statistical category.
NFL News & Rumors: Michael Pittman Jr., Indianapolis Colts Updates
Through Week 10, he has the most games with at least eight receptions this season at seven.
Pittman, 26, is in his fourth season out of the University of Southern California. The San Fernando Valley native put up 1,082 receiving yards two years ago and came close to reaching the 1,000-yard mark last season. He has been emerging into a stud for an Indianapolis team that was in the bottom third in passing yards and passing touchdowns last season.
Unlike in 2022, he has a bit of help this year in the form of rookie wideout Josh Downs, who has 523 yards through 10 games. In addition, Zach Moss has developed into a reliable RB2 with 617 rushing yards and five touchdowns on an average of 4.6 yards per rushing attempt.
Perhaps there’s a glimmer of hope for the immediate future in Indianapolis.
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