January 10, 2025
Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard said that wide receiver
Michael Pittman Jr. (back) will not require surgery for the fractured back that he played through late in the 2024 season. "One tough dude. Example of what you want," Ballard said. It's a testament to Pittman's toughness that he missed just one game due to his back injury. But the 27-year-old's back issues and inconsistent play from the quarterback position in Indianapolis in 2024 led to Pittman posting only 808 receiving yards -- his fewest since his rookie season in 2020 -- to go with 69 receptions (also his lowest mark since 2020) and only three touchdowns in 16 games. Better health will give him a chance to rebound in 2025, but his overall upside might be dependent on quarterback
Anthony Richardson's health and his ability to improve as a passer.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: FOX 59 - Mike Chappell
January 6, 2025
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver
Michael Pittman Jr. (back) admitted that he's been playing through a small fracture in his back. Pittman first noticed it during a joint practice with the Arizona Cardinals in training camp, and a scan showed the extent of the injury. He decided to play through his back injury and had a follow-up scan in Week 3. The 27-year-old will have another scan on Monday to determine if he'll require offseason surgery. Surprisingly, Pittman only missed one game in 2024, although his back injury certainly played a part in what was a down season for his standards. He finished with 69 receptions on 111 targets for 808 yards -- his lowest total since his rookie season in 2020 -- and only three touchdowns in 16 games. Second-year quarterback
Anthony Richardson's own injuries and inaccuracy didn't help Pittman's cause in 2024.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: FOX 59 - Mike Chappell
January 5, 2025
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver
Michael Pittman Jr. caught six of 10 targets for 72 yards and no touchdowns in Sunday's 26-23 overtime win against the Jaguars. The 27-year-old recorded five or more receptions in six of his last seven games of the season, but it was a year mostly filled with inconsistency at the quarterback position. The reception (69), yardage (808), and touchdown totals (3) were all the lowest outputs since his rookie season in 2020. After setting career highs in receptions and yardage in 2023, this season surely did not meet expectations, especially for fantasy managers who drafted him. With
Anthony Richardson under center in 2025, Pittman's outlook doesn't look much better unless the QB can fix his accuracy issues after posting a miserable 47.7% completion rate in 2024. If the Colts get him on track, then Pittman could end up being a value in next year's fantasy drafts assuming his price will be fairly depressed.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
January 4, 2025
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver
Michael Pittman Jr. set season-highs in receptions and targets last week with
Joe Flacco back at the helm, catching nine of 10 passes for 109 yards and a score. With a week full of practice, the 27-year-old should not be limited in any way again this week, taking on a Jaguars defense that ranks eighth-worst in allowing production to wide receivers. Jacksonville has been even worse against the run, so the Colts may be more inclined to ride
Jonathan Taylor's hot hand, although, with both teams out of playoff contention, we could see a few more backups get some playing time in this one. Additionally, with an expected total on the low side (43.5), the teams probably won't combine for 71 points as they did when they played each other earlier this season. In that contest, the former second-round draft pick had five catches for 37 yards and a TD. As it stands, view Pittman Jr. as a WR3 with some upside if the game remains competitive throughout.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
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