Mike McCarthy wasn’t lying he when told wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. he wanted to use him differently compared to how the Indianapolis Colts did in recent years. An underneath receiver the past two seasons, Pittman spent his first day in Pittsburgh moving all around. A point Pittman made to reporters after Monday’s first OTAs practice, as shared by The Trib’s Chris Adamski.
Steelers WR Michael Pittman Jr says he's lined up "at every single spot" in the offense so far, alluding to the Mike McCarthy offense
— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) May 18, 2026
Practice details are still light, no one is tracking routes run, and it’s the first day of spring sessions. Still, it’s an encouraging note for Pittman as he aims to boost his production from a season ago. A year in which Pittman caught plenty of passes, 80 of them, but for less than 10 yards per reception. Only once did he register 100 yards in a game, a Week 9 loss to the Steelers.
In context, Pittman still mostly played on the outside in recent years with the Colts. But his route tree was limited, something that seemed to frustrate Pittman. Indianapolis prioritized downfield threat Alec Pierce over him. When the Colts inked Pierce to a long-term deal, Pittman was immediately traded to the Steelers.
Coy for most of the offseason, Pittman said he’s happy Aaron Rodgers is his quarterback.
Michael Pittman Jr. is here! He said he was hoping Aaron Rodgers would be the Steelers QB but that no one really knew what Rodgers would decide.
"This is the first day, so we have from now up until that first game, and we're gonna get as many reps as possible." pic.twitter.com/XhVIdUAipb
— Brian Batko (@BrianBatko) May 18, 2026
Pittman’s experienced quarterback instability throughout his career. Since entering the league in 2020, he’s caught passes from 12 different quarterbacks. Well-known names like Matt Ryan all the way down to the obscure like Jacob Eason. For comparison, DK Metcalf has caught passes from only five different quarterbacks over the same span.
Pittsburgh will aim to return Pittman to his earlier-career numbers. In 2021, he averaged more than 12 yards on 88 catches. Even replicating 2024’s figure of 11.7 yards per reception should be treated as a win.
Pittman will have to show there’s enough juice in his legs to do his part. Pittsburgh’s failure to beat man coverage a year ago was a major issue and Pittman is better known as a savvy and nuanced route runner than an explosive player out of his breaks. Still, McCarthy’s offense could breathe life into Aaron Rodgers’ targets, and Pittman seems just as excited to be in Pittsburgh as he was the day he became a Steeler.
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