Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. is going into the final year of his rookie contract and while the early discussions of a potential extension have taken place, the team’s top pass-catcher isn’t getting caught up in what may or may not happen.
Both Pittman Jr. and running back Jonathan Taylor are the catalysts of the Colts offense, and both players are going into the final year of their rookie deals. The former is letting it take it’s natural course while allowing his performance to speak for itself.
“I think that happens naturally with performance. And if it doesn’t happen this year, that’s no big deal. I mean, it’ll happen eventually. I just kind of let that business side — just leave that to my agent,” Pittman Jr. told reporters this week.
Despite the tumultuous campaign offensively for the Colts, Pittman Jr. finished one catch away from hitting the milestone of triple digits in the reception column during his third season in the league.
The wide receiver market will ultimately dictate what Pittman Jr. gets paid. If he does wind up hitting free agency following the 2023 season, he certainly will be in line for a solid contract. Even though we saw the market correct itself this offseason, Pittman Jr. is on another level compared to the free agents that were available in 2023.
The former second-round pick may not be focused on his upcoming extension, but his performance will be directly tied to the caliber of quarterback the Colts have under center.
Rookie quarterbacks tend to lead to underperforming seasons in regards to their pass-catchers, but the situation could not have been worse for Pittman Jr. during the 2022 campaign. Any of the perceived top-four quarterback prospects would be an upgrade over what the team got under center in 2022.
The Colts are hitting the rest button with an expected rookie quarterback coming in, and it will be interesting to see how that will impact Pittman Jr.’s potential extension.
But until then, it’s business as usual.
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