Entering the final season of his contract, Michael Pittman Jr. isn’t worried about contract talks with the Indianapolis Colts, but he knows talks could get ugly.
Michael Pittman Jr. and the rest of the Indianapolis Colts have returned to the team’s facility to start the offseason program. For Pittman, it’s the start of a big season. Entering his fourth season in the NFL, Pittman is now eligible for a contract extension, as he only has one year remaining on his rookie contract.
On Wednesday, Pittman was asked about his contract situation with the Colts and he gave an honest answer. He expressed that he’s not really focused on a possible extension or the timing of the deal, saying, if it doesn’t happen this year, no big deal.” He also admitted that he doesn’t really plan to be apart of the talks because he knows “those can get ugly.”
Pittman’s only focus as he enters this contract year is playing football and helping the Colts win more games.
Colts WR Michael Pittman Jr, entering Year 3, on contract talks — he'd be a FA next spring w/o a deal.
— Zak Keefer (@zkeefer) April 12, 2023
"I think that happens naturally with performance. And it if doesn’t happen this year, no big deal."
He'll leave talks to his agent. "Those can get ugly ... I just wanna play."
Michael Pittman Jr. is focused on football not contract
Pittman knows that no matter how good a relationship is between a player and a franchise, contract negotiations can always cause a rift. That’s been demonstrated countless times throughout sports, and Lamar Jackson is currently going through it with the Baltimore Ravens. Pittman will just defer to his agent and just work on being an elite football player.
As a player, Pittman is entering his fourth season with the Colts but his third season as the teams No. 1 receiver. After having his first 1000-yard season in 2021, Pittman regressed to just 925 yards in 2022. However, that had much more to do with play calling, and quarterback and offensive line play than it did Pittman’s development.
Pittman will be hoping to get back into the 1000-yard club this season as he tries to take his game to the next level. With the Colts likely starting a rookie quarterback, Pittman and the other wideouts really need to step up. With a big season, Pittman could set himself up for a really big payday.
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