Michael Pittman is nothing if not classy. The Indianapolis Colts' wide receiver is entering the final year of his current contract with a $29 million cap hit. The team could release him and save $24 million. He understands that could happen, and he understands the NFL can be a brutal business.
The wideout probably understands, too, that if he is let go, some of the money saved might be part of the money the Colts offer fellow wide receiver Alec Pierce to re-sign him. Pittman is a solid receiver, but not nearly as explosive as Pierce, who has led the NFL in yards per catch in each of the past two seasons.
Because of that, the expectation is that Pierce will secure a new deal paying him at least $20 million per season in free agency. Indianapolis can offer that, especially with the salary cap expected to be quite a bit higher, but many other teams can as well. Plus, Indy has other concerns, such as trying to re-sign Daniel Jones.
Indianapolis Colts' Michael Pittman has the perfect approach to teammate Alec Pierce
Michael Pittman, however, believes Alec Pierce is worth every penny he might be paid. That is the sign of a great teammate, sure, but Pittman's belief in Pierce is also a sign of a great human being, as he might lose his job because the team would rather pay his fellow receiver.
"Alec (Pierce) is worth a lot of money," Pittman said in an interview withThe Athletic. "So don't be shocked when you see something crazy. I think he had like 44 catches — 1,000 yards on 44 catches. I've never seen that before. He can take the absolute top off of anybody. When they're trying to stop it, he just has a way to get behind them. It's crazy. He has really earned himself a nice payday."
Pittman is correct, of course. Pierce is 6'3" and crazy fast, but likely has been limited in the Indianapolis offense. Head coach Shane Steichen's scheme likes to have a quarterback spread the ball around when it isn't being handed to elite running back Jonathan Taylor. This means no wide receiver is probably going to lead the league in catches or receiving yards.
But the Indianapolis Colts' offense would be even better with Alec Pierce being more involved. Should he go to a more pass-happy team, especially one that likes to throw the ball down the field, Pierce could potentially have 1,500 receiving yards in a season.
Some team knows that and might outbid the Colts for Pierce's services. After all, NFL players participate in the sport in order to hopefully get paid lots of money. Alec Pierce is about the experience that.