Colts' Michael Pittman: Travels with team, could play Week 6
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Pittman (back) travelled with the rest of the Colts to Nashville, Tennessee on Saturday, and "odds of him playing seem good" ahead of Sunday's contest against the Titans, per Stephen Holder of ESPN.com.
This is excellent news for the Colts' passing game, as there were reports earlier this week that Pittman could miss multiple games due to his back injury. The wideout 's outlook improved considerably when he was able to log a full practice Friday following a pair of DNPs to begin the week, and Holder's latest report suggests that Pittman could be leaning on the promising side of his 'questionable' designation. Fellow wideout Josh Downs (toe) is also expected to play Sunday, and QB Anthony Richardson is likely to suit up as well, per Holder, so the team's offense could be in a decent position despite the absence of RB Jonathan Taylor (ankle) for a second straight week.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: WRs to Sit
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Pittman went from a potential injured reserve candidate with a back injury on Wednesday to a full practice on Friday, and now he's questionable to play Sunday at Tennessee. It's great that he feels better, but this seems like a situation to avoid in Week 6. Not only do you have Pittman having any potential health concerns, you also have a tough matchup against the Titans, who are No. 1 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing receivers. Tennessee is the only team yet to allow a touchdown to a receiver this season, including matchups with D.J. Moore, Garrett Wilson, Jayden Reed and Tyreek Hill. No receiver has scored even 11 PPR points against the Titans this season. And, as we know, Pittman has struggled with Anthony Richardson, scoring 7.6 PPR points or less in each of the first three games this season. At best, Pittman is a No. 3 receiver in most leagues.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Questionable after full practice
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Pittman (back) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Titans after returning to a full practice Friday.
Despite reports that Pittman could miss multiple weeks, the wideout has a chance to suit up this weekend after all. Per Amanda Foster of the Colts' official site, Pittman noted Friday "everything is still on the table" in terms of his availability for Week 6 action. Also listed as questionable after practicing fully Friday is Josh Downs (toe), with the duo's status versus Tennessee thus slated to be confirmed when the Colts' inactives are announced ahead of Sunday's 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Spotted at practice Friday
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Pittman (back) was present for practice Friday, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.
Pittman was a non-participant both Wednesday and Thursday, so his presence on the field Friday is notable, considering previous reports that the wideout could miss multiple weeks with a back issue. Friday's final injury report thus is slated to reveal whether Pittman heads into the weekend with any chance of facing the Titans on Sunday.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Not practicing Thursday
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Pittman (back) didn't participate in practice Thursday, Kevin Bowen of 107.5 The Fan Indianapolis reports.
Pittman, who also didn't practice Wednesday, was an observer during Thursday's session, which isn't surprising considering a report via James Boyd of The Athletic that the wideout's back injury could sideline him for multiple weeks. Further context regarding Pittman's status should come from the Colts at some point, but if he's forced to miss time, Alec Pierce and Adonai Mitchell likely would see added snaps alongside Josh Downs, provided a toe issue that caused Downs to miss practice Wednesday doesn't impact his Week 6 availability.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Could miss time with back injury
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Pittman is dealing with a back injury that could sideline him multiple weeks, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Per Schefter, a stint on injured reserve is a possibility for Pittman, who missed Wednesday's practice. If he indeed misses time beginning with Sunday's game against the Titans, Josh Downs (toe), Alec Pierce and Adonai Mitchell would be in line to lead Indianapolis' receiving corps.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Sits out Wednesday with back injury
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Pittman didn't participate in practice Wednesday due to a back injury.
The Colts put out a lengthy injury report Wednesday that included Pittman and Josh Downs (toe) at wide receiver, as well as Jonathan Taylor (ankle) and Trey Sermon (collarbone) and quarterback Anthony Richardson (oblique). With the exception of Richardson -- who was a limited participant -- each of those four players sat out Wednesday's session entirely. Though Pittman still has time to overcome the back issue ahead of Sunday's game against the Titans, adding an injury to the mix is far from ideal from a fantasy perspective for the wideout, who will face a tough matchup against a stingy secondary led by cornerback L'Jarius Sneed.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Carves up Pittsburgh
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Pittman recorded six receptions on nine targets for 113 yards in Sunday's 27-24 win over the Steelers.
Pittman has had an underwhelming start to the season, at least in part due to the limited passing volume and accuracy issues of Anthony Richardson (hip). However, Pittman got involved early with Richardson still under center to tally long gains of 32 and 28 yards. Once Joe Flacco took over, Pittman settled into more of his typical role by working primarily underneath and relying on yards after the catch. That translated to his first game with over 100 yards on the campaign, and his outlook is trending up regardless of who is under center heading into a Week 5 matchup against Minnesota.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: WRs to Sit
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Pittman has been terrible so far this season with 7.6 PPR points or less in three games in a row. He's not connecting on a high level with Anthony Richardson, and Pittman has four catches and 36 yards or less in each outing this season, with no touchdowns. It's hard to expect a turnaround to happen in Week 4 against Pittsburgh, and I would only consider Pittman as a flex option in PPR, even in three-receiver leagues.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Expected to suit up Sunday
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Pittman (back/calf) remains listed as questionable but is likely to play in Sunday's game against the Bears, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Pittman sat out Friday's practice due to injuries to his back and calf, resulting in him taking a designation into the weekend. However, coach Shane Steichen said Friday that he believed the wideout would be able to suit up for Sunday's contest, and that appears to be coming to pass. Pittman's status will be confirmed when Indianapolis releases its inactive list 90 minutes prior to Sunday's 1 p.m. ET kickoff.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Questionable for Week 3
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Pittman (back/calf) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Bears.
The Colts tacked on Pittman to their final Week 3 practice report with back and calf injuries, which kept him out of drills Friday. Still, coach Shane Steichen told Nate Atkins of The Indianapolis Star that Pittman should be able to play Sunday, something that would be confirmed about 90 minutes before a 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff. Assuming he's active, Pittman will be welcoming back fellow wide receiver Josh Downs (ankle) to the lineup, which may eat into the former's target share from quarterback Anthony Richardson.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Managing injuries ahead of Week 3
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Pittman is working through back and calf issues, but coach Shane Steichen thinks that the wideout will be available Sunday against the Bears, Nate Atkins of The Indianapolis Star reports.
Pittman was held out of Friday's practice, per James Boyd of The Athletic, and the reason for his non-participation now has been clarified. Friday's final injury report will reveal whether Pittman heads into the weekend with a Week 3 injury designation.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Not practicing Friday
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Pittman (undisclosed) isn't participating in Friday's practice, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.
Per Nate Atkins of The Indianapolis Star, Pittman -- who practiced fully Wednesday and Thursday -- was present for Friday's session. There's a chance that the Colts are giving the wideout a rest day, with further context regarding his Week 3 status set to arrive once the team's injury report is posted.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: WRs to Sit
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Pittman has 15 targets in two games against Houston and Green Bay, but he only has seven catches for 52 yards and no touchdowns over that span. He's been outplayed by Alec Pierce, and Josh Downs (ankle) could return this week for the Colts to further complicate things for Pittman. The Bears secondary has been great so far this season in holding Calvin Ridley, Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell to 8.0 PPR points or less, and Pittman is only worth starting as a No. 3 PPR receiver in Week 3.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Three catches in loss
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Pittman brought in three of seven targets for 21 yards in the Colts' 16-10 loss to the Packers on Sunday.
Pittman tied Alec Pierce for the team led in targets and even had the Colts' second-most receptions, but as his final line indicates, he did little with them. The possession receiver has had trouble establishing much rapport with Anthony Richardson through his first two games despite his past success with multiple other quarterbacks, mustering only seven receptions for 52 yards on 15 targets over the first pair of contests. Pittman will aim to turn around the slow start in a Week 3 home matchup against a tough Bears defense.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: One catch in dress rehearsal
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Pittman caught one of two targets for 12 yards in Thursday's 27-14 preseason win over the Bengals.
Pittman's lone catch came on the first drive, but he couldn't get anything else going as Anthony Richardson went cold on the next few drives, and Pittman dropped his only other target. The Colts are likely to be more effective on the ground than through the air given Richardson's rushing ability and the presence of star running back Jonathan Taylor, but Pittman projects to remain the top dog in a receiving corps that also includes rookie second-round pick Adonai Mitchell, Josh Downs (ankle) and Alec Pierce. Pittman will begin the regular season Sunday, Sept. 8 against a Texans team that held him to two of his six lowest single-game yardage totals in 2023.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: In line to see snaps Thursday
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Coach Shane Steichen relayed earlier this week that the Colts plan to play their starters, including Pittman, for about a quarter and a half in Thursday's preseason finale against the Bengals, JJ Stankevitz of the team's official site reports.
The Colts rested key skill players this past Saturday against the Cardinals, but Steichen wants to see regulars like Pittman get some snaps in Thursday before giving way to the team's reserves. As the coming season approaches, Pittman remains the clear-cut top option in Indy's WR corps, a high volume role that yielded him a 109-1,152-4 receiving line in 16 regular-season games in 2023.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: One target in preseason opener
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Pittman didn't catch his only target in Sunday's 34-30 preseason loss to the Broncos.
Pittman was the only wide receiver to earn a target from starting quarterback Anthony Richardson, as Richardson's other three passes during his two-drive stint in the game were all directed to tight ends. After racking up 296 catches for 3,159 yards and 14 touchdowns over the past three seasons, Pittman heads into 2024 as the clear No. 1 option in the Colts' passing game. He and the starters could see more action Saturday against the Cardinals in Indianapolis' next preseason game.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Knee issue downplayed
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Colts head coach Shane Steichen said that Pittman (knee) "should be fine" after he left the practice field early Wednesday, Mike Chappell of Fox 59 News Indianapolis reports.
Steichen said Pittman "just bumped knees" during 11-on-11 drills. The Colts have no incentive to rush Pittman -- who's fresh off signing a three-year, $70 million extension -- back on the field, so it's possible he misses more of OTAs. Still, the No. 1 wideout ought to have plenty of opportunities to build chemistry with second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson this offseason, as long as his knee injury is indeed only minor. Pittman managed a 109-1,152-4 receiving line across 16 games last season despite substandard quarterback play, so having a healthy Richardson back under center should raise his fantasy ceiling.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Inking three-year extension
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Pittman has agreed to a three-year deal to remain with the Colts, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
The team had previously placed its franchise tag on Pittman, but evidently since then the two sides have been working toward a long-term deal. Per Rapoport, the wideout's looming new contract can reach up to $71.5 million and includes $46 million guaranteed. The 26-year-old is coming off a 2023 regular season in which he posted a career-high 109-1,152-4 line on 156 targets in 16 games. With Pittman staying in the fold in 2024 and beyond, the Colts have secured valuable stability at the wide receiver position, a context that no doubt will benefit the development of young franchise QB Anthony Richardson (shoulder).
