The Steelers added Michael Pittman Jr. via trade, a wide receiver not necessarily on the radar for most relevant observers. For one thing, he wasn’t a free agent, so that makes sense, since they could only trade for him. They did trade for him, however, and he figures to start, so where and how does he fit? What are his strengths?
“I think that there are far more pros than there are cons to trading for [Michael] Pittman”, Brooke Pryor of ESPN said of the new Steelers wide receiver, appearing on the Chipped Ham and Football podcast. “I think that consistency is the biggest pro, and his route-running is huge. We don’t know who is throwing him the football, but if it is a 42-year-old quarterback that’s really picky, I think he would have to be really happy about the guy that they brought in. A veteran who seems to be a really smart guy, really meticulous in the way that he works. I think that he would be happy with that”.
That 42-year-old quarterback to whom Pryor alludes is Aaron Rodgers, whom most anticipate will return as the Steelers’ quarterback in 2026. He has a pretty clear preference for experienced, detailed, veteran wide receivers, of which Pittman is one. But the Steelers didn’t trade for Pittman—and sign him to a two-year extension—to play with Rodgers this year.
A 2020 second-round pick, Michael Pittman has been a consistently productive player when healthy. Over the past six seasons, he has averaged 950 receiving yards on 89 catches per season with 4.8 touchdowns. In 2025, he set a new career-high with 7 receiving touchdowns, though his yardage suffered. A lot of that had to do with the Colts’ starting quarterback, Daniel Jones, going down in Week 13, though.
A year ago, the Steelers traded for WR DK Metcalf, and now they have traded for Pittman to pair them. They still need to figure out who comes in behind them, however. Calvin Austin III signed elsewhere, and there are no indications they intend to kick the tires on their other retreads. Roman Wilson and special teamer Ben Skowronek are the only other returning cast from last season.
While Metcalf is an explosive, physical talent, Michael Pittman may provide the Steelers with some things he lacks. He is more even-tempered, in multiple ways, and a consummate professional. His game is more detailed, though that is not to disparage Metcalf’s work ethic in any way. He is clearly a hard worker, but Pittman is more of a craftsman, with greater attention to detail in his route running. That makes him a more consistently dependable target in key moments, which the Steelers have sought—and lacked.
That’s why Brooke Pryor believes trading for Michael Pittman Jr. was a good move for the Steelers. It wasn’t a cheap move, as they will be paying him good money over the next three years. And they’re already paying Metcalf even better money over the next four. But, hey, the salary cap could be $400 million by then.
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