The Indianapolis Colts took two significant steps toward reshaping their wide receiver room. By reaching a long-term contract extension with Alec Pierce and agreeing to trade Michael Pittman to the Pittsburgh Steelers, General manager Chris Ballard has signaled a changing of the guard. Indy will have a new WR1 for the first time in five years.
Pittman ends his run in Indianapolis with 485 catches and more than 5,000 yards. He scored 25 touchdowns through the air and another four on the ground. Though never a deep threat, he was a quality possession receiver, as tough as they come, and a strong blocker. His huge contract couldn’t coexist with that of Pierce, and so he was traded. But he will not be easy to replace.
Of course, this should have been the role that AD Mitchell was slated to play. Mitchell is a very different type of receiver from Pittman. At the start of the 2025 season, it would have seemed more likely that he would have inherited Pierce’s role in 2026.
Who might replace Michael Pittman in the Indianapolis Colts’ offense?
But he certainly had the talent to play with Pierce had things played out a little differently. Most Colts fans know how it did if fact, play out. Suffice to say, AD Mitchell is not an option.
But there are plenty of other receivers who might play alongside Pierce, Josh Downs, and Tyler Warren in 2026.
In-house, there are a couple of long shots. Though Ashton Dulin could certainly play a bigger role in spots, he is likely to remain a special teams stud. Eli Pancol is intriguing. He has the length and runs similar short crosses, though he is not nearly the physical specimen that Pittman is. He also has absolutely zero track record in the NFL.
The free agent market offers plenty of names, from the pricey to the bargains. Among the expensive options, Deebo Samuel and Mike Evans would be the splashiest. Both are established elite talents who still have something in the tank.
Both would provide the bigger, more physical target that Indy is losing with the departure of Pittman. And both figure to be in the mid-teens in terms of annual salary, which is basically par-for-the-course for a quality WR2 these days.
If I’m Ballard, one under-the-radar name that I’d be giving serious consideration is Nick Westbrook. He was mostly a washout for Miami last season and has never put up big numbers. But he played most of his career with the anemic Tennessee offense and showed flashes of being far more productive than his numbers would suggest. He has good size and can block. And he will come cheaply.
Ballard has his quarterback and his WR1 locked up for 2026. He almost certainly must now focus on defense. Westbrook makes a lot of sense if the Colts need a bargain possession receiver. He obviously is not as good as Michael Pittman. But he doesn’t have to be. Not with the new configuration of Indy pass catchers.
Ballard could also look in the upcoming draft. The Pittman deal appears to involve day three draft pick swaps, so it does not give Ballard additional picks. But he still might find a solid possession receiver on day three. Wideouts who lack blazing speed tend to fall in the draft.
If the Colts are looking for a good blocker and steady short-medium route runner, players like that can often be found later in the draft.
Ballard and the Colts have other priorities right now. In time, they will begin filling in their wide receiver room with several players who will probably compete to succeed Pittman. It won’t be easy, but it will happen.