Steelers to acquire Michael Pittman Jr. from Colts in trade, sign WR to three-year, $59M extension

Trading Pittman became necessary once the Colts secured a long-term deal for Alec Pierce — and while they continue to negotiate a contract with quarterback Daniel Jones. Pittman signed a three-year, $70 million extension in March 2024 that would have carried a $29 million cap hit in 2026.

The Steelers in turn will sign Pittman Jr. a new three-year, $59 million extension, NFL Network Insider Mike Garafolo reported, per a source.

The 28-year-old Pittman has spent his entire six-year career in Indianapolis, catching 485 passes for 5,254 yards (10.8-yard average) and 25 touchdowns in 95 career games (86 starts). Although he had a career-best seven TD catches in 2025, Pittman’s overall production waned as he started to take a backseat to Pierce in the Colts offense.

Now Pierce is the clear No. 1 in Indianapolis, and Pittman gets a fresh start in Pittsburgh. The Steelers lacked a true complement to DK Metcalf in the passing game, with no other wide receiver catching more than 31 passes last season. Figuring out who will play quarterback for Mike McCarthy’s team remains a question mark, but the receiver position is stronger now.