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The Indianapolis Colts are reportedly trading wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Let's take a closer look at this move with our three takeaways from it.
Pittman was set to carry a hefty salary cap hit of $29 million this season. That would have been the seventh largest in the NFL at the receiver position. But by trading Pittman, the Colts free up $24 million in needed salary cap space. The Colts came into Monday over the 2026 salary cap. With Alec Pierce earning a big deal, there was no way from a cap perspective that both of these contracts could be on the books.
Without Pittman, the Colts' top three receivers on the depth chart are Pierce, Josh Downs, and Ashton Dulin. While Dulin has provided a reliable presence when called upon, Chris Ballard should be looking to create competition for playing time. Bolstering the overall depth of this unit should be on the to-do list as well.
Pittman had 110 targets come his way last season. That's a lot of production to replace. Doing so will be a group effort. Pierce will step into that true WR1 role, while Downs will continue to be an important part of the offense as well.
But replacing Pittman goes beyond the wide receiver position to tight end, where we can expect Tyler Warren's role within the offense to continue to expand. As a rookie, he caught 76 passes on 106 targets for 817 yards with four scores. As active as he was already as a rookie, there could be more opportunities for him in 2026.
This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: NFL free agency: 3 observations from Colts trading Michael Pittman to Steelers
Continue reading...
Let's take a closer look at this move with our three takeaways from it.
Colts create needed cap space
Pittman was set to carry a hefty salary cap hit of $29 million this season. That would have been the seventh largest in the NFL at the receiver position. But by trading Pittman, the Colts free up $24 million in needed salary cap space. The Colts came into Monday over the 2026 salary cap. With Alec Pierce earning a big deal, there was no way from a cap perspective that both of these contracts could be on the books.
The Colts have a greater need at wide receiver
Without Pittman, the Colts' top three receivers on the depth chart are Pierce, Josh Downs, and Ashton Dulin. While Dulin has provided a reliable presence when called upon, Chris Ballard should be looking to create competition for playing time. Bolstering the overall depth of this unit should be on the to-do list as well.
More Tyler Warren
Pittman had 110 targets come his way last season. That's a lot of production to replace. Doing so will be a group effort. Pierce will step into that true WR1 role, while Downs will continue to be an important part of the offense as well.
But replacing Pittman goes beyond the wide receiver position to tight end, where we can expect Tyler Warren's role within the offense to continue to expand. As a rookie, he caught 76 passes on 106 targets for 817 yards with four scores. As active as he was already as a rookie, there could be more opportunities for him in 2026.
This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: NFL free agency: 3 observations from Colts trading Michael Pittman to Steelers
Continue reading...
