Michael Pittman, Jr. played entire 2024 season with a broken back

Michael Pittman, Jr. is a great wide receivers, particularly before the 2024 season. Fans were elated to see him remain with the Indianapolis Colts, and it's no surprise as to why. He's been one of the best wide receivers in Colts history, and though he still played well last season, he also was not at his best in 2024.

It was no secret that Pittman has been battling injuries while he played; now, the extent of those injuries has been made clear, making Pittman's 2024 play seem much more impressive. Pittman played through the entire season with a broken back.

Pittman has announced that he had been diagnosed with a back fracture, but still missed only one game. "That's just what you have to do for the guys, because this isn't a fair weather sport," Pittman said. "Guys like Quenton (Nelson), Jonathan Taylor, D-Buck (DeForest Buckner), they deserve my best even when maybe I don't feel up to it."

He added, "It's like a privilege to play like in this league.And I don't take any game lightly - like, I'm out there, because it's just such a privilege. And I take every game serious. And football is really my life. And I would really do anything to play in each and every game."

Initially, Pittman said he was having scans once a month. "I got to a point (where) I'm like, I don't really care what the scan says, I'm going to play either way," he said. He further told the IndyStar that he may need to have surgery in the offseason.

“When I first had it happen, they said that it’s almost certainly going to get worse, not better,” he said. “It’s all about as long as I could make it happen, and I did finish. … I was hoping we would be playing longer than this.”

Having surgery was an option during the season, but he chose to play through the pain instead, even if it meant he wasn't as productive as normal. “My numbers were obviously down, and that’s frustrating to me,” Pittman said. “They’re looking at me like: ‘Why are you not playing good?’ and I’m trying, I’m trying. … Whatever you’ve got to do better, and for me, that’s just to heal up.”

Pittman was named a team captain for the first time in 2024, and his toughness is a large part of why.

“If Michael Pittman can go out there with a fractured back for most of the season… tough son of a (expletive),” Buckner said. “Pitt is what it means, he’s one of those guys you fight for and you continue to play for.”