Editor’s note: From now until reporting day to training camp at Saint Vincent College, TribLive is running through the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 90-man roster, looking at each player and assessing his outlook for the 2026 season. The breakdown will run in alphabetical order with two players each day between June 13 and July 28. Contract data courtesy spotrac.com.
WR MICHAEL PITTMAN JR.
Experience/age: seventh season, 28
Contract status: $8.87 million cap hit in 2026, signed through 2028
The past: A second-round draft pick in 2020, Pittman quickly became a key piece in the Colts passing offense and led them in receiving yards three years in a row (2021-23). He twice topped 1,000 yards, including a 109-catch, 1,152-yard effort in 2023 when targeted a career-high 156 times. He is used to having the ball thrown his way often. Colts QBs targeted him at least 111 times in each of the past five seasons. He finished as the team’s second-leading receiver in 2024 but slipped to third last year with a team-high 80 catches, 784 yards and seven touchdowns.
The 6-foot-4, 223-pounder showed a knack for working the middle of the field. Pittman made 49 catches between the numbers last season, receptions that accounted for 527 yards. His role wasn’t to be a deep threat. Only two of his catches and eight targets occurred farther than 20 yards downfield, but he was efficient at moving the chains. He accounted for 47 first downs last season, tying him with Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson for the 19th most in 2025.
MICHAEL PITTMAN JR. WHAT?!
TENvsIND on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/6wHriOZr2G
— NFL (@NFL) October 26, 2025
2026 outlook: The Steelers made an aggressive move in March by trading for Pittman and signing him to a three-year, $59 million contract. Coaches are optimistic that he can form a tandem with DK Metcalf, who was the only established wideout in the offense last year. The two are each listed at 6-foot-4 on the roster, ranking them among the tallest pass-catching duos in the league.
A year ago, Metcalf led Steelers wide receivers with 59 catches on 99 targets, but the team lacked a reliable second option to complement him. Among the other wideouts, Calvin Austin III made 31 catches and Roman Wilson had 12. Running back Kenneth Gainwell caught a team-high 73 last year in an offense that overly relied on short passes.
Mike McCarthy has said he views Pittman as a versatile pass-catcher who can run all routes, which is a preference of McCarthy’s for receivers in his offense. Pittman lined up wide for 615 snaps last season and played 283 in the slot. In six seasons, Pittman totaled 485 catches, 5,254 yards and 25 touchdowns for the Colts.