Pittman is coming off a disappointing campaign in 2024, and he will look to rebound this season. He's only worth drafting with a mid to late-round pick in the majority of leagues, but there is the potential for him to outperform his average draft position. Last year, Pittman averaged just 10.4 PPR points per game, which was his lowest total since his rookie year in 2020. He also battled a back injury, but he's expected to be fully healed for training camp. The biggest issue for Pittman is the quarterback play for the Colts, and Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones will compete for the starting job in training camp. Jones is likely the better quarterback to boost Pittman's Fantasy value, but Richardson could be improved this year after spending time with Josh Allen's private quarterback coach in the offseason. In 2024, Pittman had six games with at least 12.5 PPR points, and five of them came when Joe Flacco played. Pittman has to compete with Josh Downs and Tyler Warren for targets, but he could still be No. 1 on the team in that category. If he surprises us then he could emerge as a No. 2 Fantasy receiver in all leagues -- he averaged 15.7 PPR points per game in 2023 -- but that likely depends on Richardson or Jones. We're hopeful that Pittman can bounce back and play at a high level again in 2025.
Colts' Michael Pittman: Two grabs in preseason debut
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Pittman secured two of three targets for 31 yards in the Colts' 23-19 preseason loss to the Packers on Saturday afternoon.
The veteran receiver showed off some solid chemistry with Daniel Jones in their first taste of game action together, recording nine- and 22-yard gains on two of the first three plays of Indianapolis' second possession. Pittman is coming off a somewhat disappointing 2024 in which he finished with a 69-808-3 receiving line after posting a career-high 109 catches and 1,152 receiving yards the season prior, but he's projected to once again serve as the Colts' unquestioned No. 1 wideout.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Not on track to play Thursday
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Pittman is not in line to play in Thursday's preseason opener against the Ravens, Stephen Holder of ESPN.com reports.
After missing time with a groin injury, Pittman returned to practice Tuesday, but per Holder, the wideout is among a number of the Colts' key players who won't see action Thursday. Pittman's next chance to see game action will arrive Saturday, Aug. 16 against Green Bay.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Sidelined by groin again
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Pittman (groin) didn't practice Sunday, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.
Pittman first hurt his groin in practice Tuesday, though he was able to resume participation Thursday. However, the star wideout was held out again Saturday and Sunday, so it appears he's not fully past the injury yet. The Colts likely want to make sure Pittman is fully in the clear before he resumes practice given that the team is still in the early stages of training camp.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Not practicing Saturday
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Pittman (undisclosed) will not participate in Saturday's training camp practice, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.
Pittman's absence is likely a maintenance day, with the sixth-year wideout recovering from a groin injury that he suffered during Tuesday's practice. With Pittman sidelined, Adonai Mitchell will have the opportunity to join Alec Pierce and Josh Downs in three-wideout sets with the first-team offense. Ashton Dulin and Anthony Gould could also see an uptick in practice reps.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Moves past injury
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Pittman (groin) participated in Thursday night's practice, Kevin Bowen of 107.5 The Fan Indianapolis reports.
Pittman sustained a groin injury during Tuesday's session, but after an off day Wednesday, he was back on the field Thursday logging reps with the first-team offense. While Pittman's standing as a key member of a wideout corps that also returns Alec Pierce and Josh Downs remains secure, who will be throwing to that trio in Week 1 has yet to be determined, with Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones in the midst of what is being described as a close competition for the assignment.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Back at practice
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Pittman (groin) participated at the start of Thursday's practice, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.
Pittman suffered a groin injury at Tuesday's session, but after the Colts had an off day Wednesday, he was back on the field in at least some capacity one day later. He's developed into the Colts' top pass-catching option since being selected in the second round of the 2020 Draft, recording two 1,000-yard seasons and catching at least 88 passes three times in his five-year career.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Sustains groin injury Tuesday
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Pittman sustained a groin injury during Tuesday's practice, Nate Atkins of The Indianapolis Star reports.
For now, consider Pittman day-to-day as the Colts' Aug. 7 preseason opener against the Ravens approaches. When available, Pittman is on track to maintain a steady stream of passing targets in a Colts WR corps that also features Alec Pierce and Josh Downs.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Could need back surgery
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Pittman said that he will undergo tests on his back Monday to determine whether he'll require offseason surgery, Joel A. Erickson of The Indianapolis Star reports.
Though he missed just one game all season, Pittman disclosed Monday that he's been feeling pain in his back since training camp. He first showed up on the Colts' injury report with a back issue in Week 3, when a scan revealed he was dealing with a small fracture. Pittman continued to play through the injury even though doctors informed him that his condition would likely worsen. Playing at less than 100 percent, in addition to lackluster quarterback play from Anthony Richardson (back) and Joe Flacco, contributed to a down season for Pittman. Pittman's 69-808-3 line on 111 targets represented a big step back from his career-best 2023 campaign, in which he produced a 109-1,152-4 line on 156 targets over 16 games.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Six grabs in OT win
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Pittman caught six of 10 targets for 72 yards in Sunday's 26-23 overtime win over the Jaguars.
It was another strong performance from Pittman, who benefitted from having Joe Flacco under center to close out the season rather than Anthony Richardson (back). Three of Pittman's four biggest yardage totals of 2024 came with Flacco at the helm of the Colts' offense, and the wideout closes the books on his fifth NFL campaign having posted a 69-808-3 line on 111 targets over 16 games, a big decline from 2023. Pittman is under contract through 2026 with $13 million of his 2025 salary already guaranteed, so Indy has little incentive to part ways with him in the offseason despite the difficulty he's had establishing chemistry with Richardson.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Breaks out with Flacco under center
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Pittman caught nine of 10 targets for 109 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 45-33 loss to the Giants.
The nine grabs were a season high for Pittman, while the 109 yards were his highest total since Week 4 and the trip to the end zone was his first since Week 6. All those performances came with Joe Flacco under center instead of Anthony Richardson (back/foot), and with the Colts now eliminated from postseason contention, the team could elect to sit Richardson in Week 18 regardless. If Pittman gets to work with Flacco again in his final game of the season, he could deliver big numbers versus the Jaguars.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Two catches in Week 16 win
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Pittman brought in two of three targets for 19 yards in the Colts' 38-30 win over the Titans on Sunday.
Pittman's final line was disappointing, but the blame can hardly be placed at the feet of the talented wideout considering Anthony Richardson threw only 11 times on the afternoon. Pittman's catch and yardage totals were his lowest since Week 9, while his target tally was a new season-low figure. Pittman has a solid chance of boosting his numbers at least slightly in a favorable Week 17 road battle against the inconsistent Giants defense.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: At practice Thursday
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Pittman (back) was spotted at practice Thursday, Nate Atkins of The Indianapolis Star reports.
Pittman didn't practice Wednesday, but his return to the field a day later suggests that his absence was maintenance related. If the wideout is deemed a full participant in Thursday's session, the stage would be set for Pittman to be available Sunday against the Titans.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Team-high six catches in Week 15
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Pittman caught six of nine targets for 58 yards and lost a fumble in Sunday's 31-13 loss to the Broncos.
Pittman fumbled at the end of a six-yard catch in the third quarter, but he led the Colts in targets, catches and receiving yards. Josh Downs had only 32 yards on eight targets after missing one game due to a shoulder injury, and Alec Pierce exited due to a concussion just before halftime. Pittman has at least seven targets in each of the past four games and should maintain a prominent role in the Colts' lackluster passing attack in Week 16 against the Titans.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Five grabs in Sunday's win
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Pittman caught five of seven targets for 42 yards in Sunday's 25-24 win over the Patriots.
Second-year QB Anthony Richardson completed only half of his 24 attempts, and Pittman was by far the Colts' leader in catches and receiving yards as a result despite his modest numbers. Since missing a Week 10 contest with back trouble, Pittman has been his usual stalwart self, posting a 16-184-0 line on 22 targets over three contests, but his TD drought now sits at six games. He'll look to find paydirt again on the other side of the Colts' Week 14 bye,
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Sleeper WRs
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I haven't had many positive things to say about Pittman this season, given his lack of production, but he has performed better in the past two games since Anthony Richardson got his starting job back. And now Josh Downs (shoulder) won't play in Week 13 at New England. In his past two games, Pittman has 11 catches for 142 yards on 15 targets, and he scored 15.6 PPR points in Week 12 against the Lions. He could see Patriots standout cornerback Christian Gonzalez in Week 13, but New England has allowed six receivers to score at least 12.3 PPR points in the past five games. Given his recent spike in targets, Downs being out, and the matchup, I'm willing to trust Pittman again as a No. 3 receiver in the majority of leagues.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Five catches in return
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Pittman caught five of eight targets for 46 yards in Sunday's 28-27 win over the Jets.
Pittman was more involved in his return from a one-game absence due to a back injury, which was preceded by a pair of one-catch performances. He has been eclipsed as the top option in the Colts passing game by Josh Downs, who had a touchdown catch among his team-high 84 receiving yards Sunday. Up next for Pittman is a Week 12 home game against a Detroit defense that has allowed plenty of yardage to wide receivers, in part because the 9-1 Lions have spent the vast majority of their season playing from ahead.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Estimated as full participant
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Pittman (back) was listed as a full participant on Wednesday's practice estimate.
The Colts held a walk-through session Wednesday, and Pittman's listing as a full participant seemingly indicates that the wideout is making good progress after sitting out this past Sunday's loss to the Bills with a lingering back issue. Indianapolis is expected to hold a more traditional practice session Thursday, and assuming Pittman is once again a full participant in that session, he should be in the clear to play this Sunday versus the Jets. If Pittman is back in the lineup Sunday, he'll be on the receiving end of passes from Anthony Richardson, who has been reinstalled as Indianapolis' starting quarterback following a two-game benching.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Ruled out this week
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Head coach Shane Steichen said that Pittman (back/finger) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Bills, Amanda Foster of the Colts' official site reports.
Pittman, who didn't participate in practice this week, thus is slated to miss his first game of the season. Per James Boyd of The Athletic, Steichen indicated Friday that Pittman is viewed as week-to-week, but at this stage the team is still not considering IR for the wideout. In Pittman's absence, Josh Downs and Alec Pierce are in line to lead the Colts' WR corps, with Ashton Dulin and Adonai Mitchell mixing in, while Anthony Gould is available in reserve.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Still not practicing
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Pittman (back/finger) remained sidelined at practice Friday, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.
Pittman also missed sessions Wednesday and Thursday, and his continued absence Friday doesn't bode well for his chances of playing Sunday against the Bills. If Pittman ends up being unavailable for the contest, the Colts' Week 10 wideout corps would be in line to be led by Josh Downs and Alec Pierce, with Ashton Dulin and Adonai Mitchell mixing in.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Not seen at Thursday's practice
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Pittman (back/finger) wasn't spotted at Thursday's practice, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.
Pittman didn't practice Wednesday, his norm since Week 6, so his absence a day later is notable. What the wideout -- who hasn't missed any games yet this season -- is able to do Friday, if anything, thus will be pivotal in terms of gauging the chances of him be able to continue to play through the back issue that he's been managing of late. The Colts face the Bills at 1:00 p.m. ET on Sunday.
