Steelers News
Steelers Acquire Michael Pittman Jr. From Colts in Late-Round Pick Swap, Sign WR to Extension
The Pittsburgh Steelers are acquiring wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. from the Indianapolis Colts in a swap of late-round draft picks, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported Monday. Pittsburgh also signed Pittman to a new three-year, $59 million extension as part of the deal, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, replacing the final year remaining on his previous contract.
The move came within the opening hour of the NFL’s legal tampering window, less than an hour after Indianapolis re-signed wide receiver Alec Pierce to a four-year, $116 million deal. With Pierce secured as the Colts’ clear No. 1 receiver, trading Pittman opened roughly $24 million in cap space for Indianapolis.
Pittman, 28, spent all six of his NFL seasons with the Colts after being drafted in the second round in 2020 out of USC. He closed 2025 with 80 catches for 784 yards and a career-high seven touchdowns in 17 games, his lowest yardage total since his first season. His best years came in 2022 and 2023, when he topped 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons, including a 109-catch, 1,152-yard performance in 2023.
In Pittsburgh, Pittman steps into a wide receiver room that has been in need of depth behind star DK Metcalf. The Steelers acquired Metcalf from the Seattle Seahawks in a second-round pick trade last offseason. Beyond Metcalf, no other Pittsburgh receiver topped 490 receiving yards in 2025, leaving a significant production gap that Pittman is expected to fill as the team’s WR2.
The Steelers are entering a new era under head coach Mike McCarthy, who was hired after Mike Tomlin stepped down following 19 seasons in Pittsburgh. The quarterback situation for 2026 remains unresolved, with Aaron Rodgers yet to announce whether he will return, retire, or seek a new team.