Colts rookie wideout Michael Pittman Jr. just gets it when it comes to being a good teammate to Jonathan Taylor.
The Indianapolis Colts may never have their full complement of receivers in 2020, and certainly won’t take the field again with their entire projected offense, now that Marlon Mack will miss the full season.
In the wake of the barrage of injuries, what the Colts need now is players who get it. Offensive weapons who exist to get their numbers, sure, but those who’d much rather make sure that everyone on the team is performing to the best of their abilities is really what’s necessary.
With a young group of players at their disposal, you might think this level of awareness would be too much to ask for, but 2020 second-rounder Michael Pittman Jr. is doing his very best to fill plenty of voids at once in that case, both on the field and in the leadership department.
Asked about what he can do to help improve the team’s run game, Pittman Jr. showed on Tuesday that he’s all about helping Jonathan Taylor be the best ‘back he can be.
Love Michael Pittman Jr. Asked him abt blocking in the running game and he said "my dad was a running back and hearing him talk about guys like Keyshawn...I want guys like Jonathan Taylor to talk about me the same way."
— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) September 22, 2020
This kid gets it.
Son of a running back, if we’ve ever heard one.
Pittman Sr. earned a ring in Tampa Bay, and must’ve spoken glowingly to his son growing up about the running lanes that Keyshawn Johnson, a prototypical diva in the eyes of most, helped carve out for him. Clearly, Johnson served a pretty plain example to the younger Pittman — you can be a front-facing beast, and still do the little things to help your teammates, too.
Pittman Jr. has also proved his mettle already, fighting through a painful toe injury to haul in four balls for 37 yards (six targets) in a Week 2 win over the Vikings.
They may hit harder at the NFL level, but the kid seems very prepared to hit back.
Asked Colts rookie wideout Michael Pittman Jr the biggest difference between facing college DBs and NFL DBs. "The violence," he said.
— Zak Keefer (@zkeefer) September 22, 2020
Pittman’s next challenge will be the lowly Jets, another excellent chance to work on his leadership in all facets of the game.
Sure, he’ll get his touches. But this is about a lot more than just gaudy stats in a middling 2020. This is a long-term game, and the Colts’ core seems ready to grow together, even without all their brothers on the field this season.
Colts: Pittman and Taylor could dominate in 2020 under Reich
The 2020 Colts are looking stacked as the roster is starting to come together. Chris Ballard and Frank Reich have done a stellar job at developing talent.