Michael Pittman Jr. reveals what he wants from Anthony Richardson this season

This offseason has been all about getting back into a rhythm for Anthony Richardson. Coming back from a season-ending injury during his rookie season, Richardson is one of those guys folks around the league are expecting big things from, despite only four starts a season ago.

If Richardson is going to have a big year in 2024, much of his production will likely come from his top target in the passing game, wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr.

Coming fresh off a contract extension earlier this offseason, Pittman is ready to cut it loose in his fifth year as a pro, and he hopes to get more opportunities to make big plays like he did over his first two seasons in the league. If training camp practices have been indicative of anything, it's that Pittman should be right on track with what he's wanting to see from his quarterback.

“Anthony’s strength right now is throwing deep passes," Pittman said on a recent episode of the official Colts podcast.

“I’m hoping it goes back up to where it was in Year 1 and Year 2. That’s where I’m expecting it to go back to."

Pittman wants to be the centerpiece of the Colts' offense

While his desire is to get more deep opportunities, Pittman won't say "no" to any sort of target. After all, he's a wide receiver. They don't turn down targets, regardless of where they come from.

"It’s not bad to get those [shorter] passes because any time I’m getting a target, there’s always a chance that I break one and score. Whether it’s a two-yard pass, a 20-yard pass or a 50-yard pass, I’ll take it all," he said.

He may be on to something, though. During his first two seasons, Pittman averaged 12.6 and 12.3 yards per reception, with his rookie year being the top number of his career so far. In Years 3 and 4, that number dipped to just 9.3 in 2022 and 10.6 in 2023.

That shows how much the offense changed due to the Colts' quarterback carousel. With Richardson boasting arguably the best arm of his entire class, there's no doubt fans want to see this offense go deep on a regular basis. Between Pittman, Alec Pierce and Adonai Mitchell, this team has a few guys who excel at the deep ball.

Here's to hoping Pittman gets his wish granted early and often this season.