One thing is clear: Michael Pittman Jr. harbors no bad feelings about being traded by the Indianapolis Colts this past offseason. He likely understands the NFL is a difficult business financially, and he paid the price for that. Almost literally. But Pittman still hopes Indy does well, as long as the team isn't playing the Pittsburgh Steelers, and hopes Daniel Jones is specifically great.
Pittman's reaction to a question about the Colts quarterback on a recent episode of the Pat McAfee Show not only proves what a good person Pittman is, but also the kind of respect Jones earned immediately after joining Indianapolis last season. Both players are winners as human beings, if not always on the field.
"DJ's a beast," Pittman told McAfee. "And he is probably one of the toughest guys I've ever been around, works super hard, and I can't say enough good things about him, but when (the Steelers play the Colts), we're not friends. After that, we're friends again."
Michael Pittman shows true class in an answer about Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones
The critique of Jones' toughness likely comes from the QB playing on a broken fibula in 2025, which Jones suffered in Week 10 against the Atlanta Falcons. The quarterback endured the pain while playing several more games before he tore the Achilles tendon in his other leg in Week 14.
Jones wasn't playing to glorify himself, but instead, he wanted to help Indianapolis win games. While the second half of the season was a tragic one in football terms, the fault didn't lie with Jones. He was quite good and was rewarded with a two-year contract worth as much as $88 million.
Unfortunately, to bring back Jones and wide receiver Alec Pierce, general manager Chris Ballard needed to make some concessions. One of those was to move on from Pittman, who had a cap hit of $29 million in 2026, but hadn't produced at a level recently to warrant getting that much money. The receiver was dealt to the Steelers along with a seventh-round selection for a sixth-round choice.
The legacy of Michael Pittman with the Indianapolis Colts won't be one of failure, though. He was productive on the field, twice having more than 1,000 receiving yards in a season. He was a very good player, but maybe just as importantly, he handled himself with class all the time. He knew how important Indianapolis Colts fans were, and he probably still does.
Now, Pittman gets paid to do good things for the Steelers, and most Indy fans likely hope he achieves his personal goals. The one exception is the same kind that Pittman told McAfee: In Week 5, when Indianapolis travels to play Pittsburgh, Pittman could have zero catches and four drops, and that would be fine. In any other game, he could have 10 catches, and that would be fine.
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