Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. is entering his third season and with that, he will be working with his third different starting quarterback since entering the league.
After working with Philip Rivers in 2020 and Carson Wentz in 2021, Pittman Jr. has already had his share of different quarterbacks. Now, he’ll be catching passes from veteran Matt Ryan, who the Colts traded for this offseason.
The former second-round pick had nothing but praise for the 37-year-old and his ability to maximize yards-after-catch opportunities.
“The ball is just right there, and you just turn and catch the ball. I mean, it just makes it easy,” Pittman Jr. told reporters Wednesday at OTAs. “Matt can pretty much put it wherever he wants.”
Pittman Jr. is coming off of a breakout season in 2021 when he recorded 88 receptions for 1,082 yards and six touchdowns. He was easily the most productive wideout for the Colts, commanding a 25.7% target share.
Even with the Colts adding Alec Pierce to the mix by using a second-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft, Pittman Jr. is still expected to lead the team in targets. Approaching the 25% target share mark might be a bit tougher, but it’s certainly in his range of outcomes to command that kind of share again.
What makes this quote interesting his Pittman Jr.’s ability with the ball in his hands. The Carson Wentz experience severely limited the Colts’ offense in terms of maximizing yards after the catch.
According to Pro Football Focus, Pittman Jr. averaged just 3.9 yards after the catch per reception with Wentz at the helm in 2021. Compare that to his 7.4 mark with Philip Rivers as the starter in 2020, and it’s easy to see why another huge season is in store for the USC product.
We’ll see how much help Pittman Jr. gets from the rest of the wide receiver room, but the potential duo with Matt Ryan could be lethal.
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