Colts Were Clever For Not Trading Wide Receiver

One of the top players on the Indianapolis Colts is wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr.

Nevertheless, there was talk that the team will trade him before the trade deadline of October 31st.

Cory Woodroof wrote a piece for the Win about a deal that every NFL team would love to see. In exchange for a third-round draft pick, he recommended that the Colts sell Pittman:

“Pittman is a very reliable wide receiver, but he’ll be a free agent in the spring. It would make sense for Indianapolis to consider moving him to a contender that needs wideout help for a third-round draft pick.”

The trade deadline passed quickly. No trade was made for Pittman. There was talk that the Colts would try to trade veterans for later draft selections as quarterback Anthony Richardson was sidelined for the entire season due to an AC joint injury. However, the team made no trades. Now that Pittman and company are leading the way, they will try to qualify for the playoffs.

Indianapolis Colts Were Wise to Keep Michael Pittman Jr.

Michael Pittman Jr. is Having a Great Season

The Colts selected Pittman with the 34th overall choice in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Since joining the NFL, he appears to have played with a gazillion different quarterbacks.

In fact, throughout the course of his four-year career, Pittman has been hit by seven different quarterbacks. Philip Rivers, Carson Wentz, Matt Ryan, Sam Ehlinger, Nick Foles, Richardson, and now Garnder Minshew are the seven players in question. Pittman has been an excellent NFL receiver even though he has worked with a variety of different signal-callers over his career.

Pittman has caught 23 catches for 677 yards and three touchdowns this season, and he has looked fantastic. This season, the former USC standout had seven games with eight receptions or more (highest in the NFL). Josh Downs, a rookie, might eventually overtake him as the Colts’ top receiver. Pittman is the man, though, for the time being.

Pittman is on track to do something that a Colts receiver hasn’t done in more than a decade. Having at least 100 receptions and 1,100 receiving yards at the end of a season is the achievement. Reggie Wayne, the wide receiver coach at Pittman, was the last to accomplish the feat (106 catches, 1,355 yards in 2012).

He Could Help Lead the Colts to the Playoffs

The Colts were most definitely not predicted to make the playoffs coming into this season. Teams with rookie quarterbacks seldom make it to the postseason. It certainly appeared to be a long shot after Richardson was hurt.

The Colts do, however, have a respectable but not great chance of making the playoffs this year. The Miami Dolphins, Jacksonville Jaguars, Baltimore Ravens, and Kansas City Chiefs are currently leading their respective AFC divisions. Currently holding the final three positions are the Houston Texans, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Cleveland Browns.

To make it to the postseason, the 5-5 Colts will face teams like the Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals—who will be without Joe Burrow for the remainder of the season—and Las Vegas Raiders. If players like Pittman, Jonathan Taylor, and DeForest Buckner continue to contribute significantly, Indianapolis can win even though it will be a very tough task.

General manager Chris Ballard made a wise decision in keeping Pittman on the team. To make the playoffs, Indianapolis needs all the talent they can acquire.

After the season, Pittman, who is enjoying the finest year of his career, will be available as a free agent. The Colts will have no choice but to resign him. He might contribute to Richardson, who is expected back in 2024, and Co. becoming a formidable team the next year.