Pittman Jr. on contract: 'Sooner, later, never -- makes no difference to me'

[JAFF]

Pittman Jr. on contract: 'Sooner, later, never -- makes no difference to me'

https://www.indystar.com/story/sport...s/70460141007/

WESTFIELD -- Michael Pittman Jr. spent his last offseason on his rookie contract doing the things he loves -- taking care of a newborn son and 2-year-old daughter, fishing in his 23-foot boat and running routes in Miami with Anthony Richardson and his fellow Colts receivers.

He hasn't spent it in any contract negotiations, and that's been intentional.

"I'm just working on having fun and doing what I can do to make this team better, and then all of that will happen later on," Pittman Jr. said. "Sooner, later on, never -- it makes no difference to me. I'm here to play now."

That isn't to say he doesn't think about the future, what it pays, how long it lasts and what it can set up for a family of four that is freshly expanded this spring after the birth of Michael Pittman III. The Colts' No. 1 receiver has made a habit of crafting specific goals on the yards, touchdowns and accolades he needs, and as the son of an 11-year NFL running back, he's constantly aware that his future earnings will be tied to the type of player, leader and teammate he becomes.

But to iron out an extension now would be to shortchange the growth that still can come.

Michael Pittman Jr. has led the Indianapolis Colts in receiving yards in two straight seasons and now faces a contract year.
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"Every year that you play is a job audition for 32 teams," Pittman Jr. said. "It's a job audition for your team and 31 others. That's how I've taken every year. You never know what happens. You get to the end of the year and they could be like, 'Pitt, you stink. We don't want you no more.' And then I have to find a new place to play."


Pittman Jr. is still just 25, knocking on the door of his prime. He's led the Colts in receptions and yards in two straight seasons, passing 900 yards both times. But he's scored 11 touchdowns in three seasons and has fallen short of those lofty goals he laminates and sometimes hangs in his locker stall. He hasn't always played as focused and consistent as he wants, but he's also facing his sixth starting quarterback entering his fourth season.

Finally, this season, he has one he has a chance to lock in with for 17 games and potentially many more. With the No. 4 selection, the Colts made Anthony Richardson the first quarterback they've drafted to become a starter since Andrew Luck.


Gone are the days of aging passers or reclamation projects behind center, and perhaps nothing crystallized that transformation to Pittman Jr. quite like the days he spent in Miami earlier this month. He estimates that 95% of the passing game went down there, including Richardson, Gardner Minshew and Sam Ehlinger. Now over the hip injury, he finally got to sprint down the field and stretch out his arms for the 60-yard rainbow passes that made Richardson the fascination of this year's draft.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) gives a high-five Wednesday, June 14, 2023, to Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (11) during mandatory minicamp at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center in Indianapolis.
Whenever Richardson passes Minshew to become the starter, he and Pittman Jr. will have a chance to pull out the upside in each other. It will be a process, as Richardson has started just 13 games above high school and has accuracy concerns to grow through, and he's just 21 years old. But he's never had a No. 1 receiver he could trust, and Pittman Jr. wants to finally prove he is that -- to 32 other teams.


The Colts will certainly be watching.

"I love Pitt. That freaking dude likes to compete," general manager Chris Ballard said. "... Here we were as a team and we weren't playing well and he was frustrated and he's emotional, which I love. I don't mind guys that are emotional and care because they want to win and guys who want the ball -- that (stuff) never bothers me. I would rather have a guy like Pitt who wants it and wants to win and does all the little things competitively right rather than a guy who just accepts what his role is."


However this season plays out, Pittman Jr. will have a market in free agency because of the position he plays. Unlike running backs, wide receiver contracts keep going up as the league becomes more entrenched in passing.

"I know that big contract is coming soon," his father, Michael Pittman Sr., said last fall. "Man, I just can’t wait for that.”

As Pittman Jr. walked off the podium on Tuesday, he paused to crack a joke with teammate DeForest Buckner.

"One day soon, hopefully I can get a necklace like this," Pittman Jr. said, "but for right now I can't afford it."