Every offseason, the Indianapolis Colts will be looking to get more explosive players on the roster, which is why they zeroed in on wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. during the 2020 offseason.
Eventually selecting him in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft, Pittman Jr. made a small impact during his rookie campaign. Had it not been for a serious leg injury that kept him out more than a month, general manager Chris Ballard believes we would be viewing him in a much different light.
“If Pittman doesn’t get hurt, I think we’re talking about him in a totally different vein, because he was really coming on,” Ballard said during his year-end press conference. “That was a significant injury he had, and he bounced back from it, and I think you started to see his talent more toward the end of the season. We think he’s got really good upside.”
Pittman Jr. suffered leg compartment syndrome following the Week 3 win over the New York Jets. He had to get the pressure relieved that night following the game at the hospital and wound up going on the injured reserve list from Weeks 4–8.
But when Pittman Jr. came back, he showed why the Colts valued him so much during the pre-draft process. His combination of size and speed is lethal when he has the ball in his hands, which he put on display several times during the second half of the season.
He even showed out during the playoff game against the Buffalo Bills, catching five passes for 90 yards.
While it remains to be seen if T.Y. Hilton will be returning to the Colts this offseason, the front office is still excited about what the combination of Pittman Jr. and Parris Campbell could do for the offseason.
The future is bright for Pittman Jr., and the Colts believe he has the upside to lead the wide receiver room pretty soon.
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