The Indianapolis Colts are 0-2 and the offense looked out of sorts against the Green Bay Packers in Week 2, so the latest update regarding Michael Pittman Jr. will help boost optimism heading into Week 3 against the Chicago Bears.
Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Pittman is expected to play after popping up as a non-participant on Friday’s final injury report. Colts head coach Shane Steichen said Pittman is dealing with back and calf injuries, but he was optimistic about the fifth-year receiver’s availability for Sunday. That doesn’t mean he’ll play, however, as he was still listed as questionable heading into the weekend.
Pittman Jr.’s 2024 season is off to a very slow start after signing a three-year, $70 million extension during the offseason. He’s second on the team in receptions and third in receiving yards, but those totals only amount to seven and 52, respectively. Third-year wideout, Alec Pierce, currently leads the team in receptions (8), yards (181), and receiving touchdowns (2) through Week 2.
It’s obviously very early, still, but it’s easy to see why the slow start is discouraging. Especially when considering how inconsistent the passing attack has been – even with the big plays against the Houston Texans in Week 1.
Pittman is struggling when it comes to advanced metrics, as well. Per Next Gen Stats, he has a very underwhelming 46.7% catch rate (seven receptions on 15 targets), along with a mark of -0.58 EPA/target and a -10.4% catch rate over expected. He’s even had issues with separation, averaging just 2.0 yards when targeted. Per Pro Football Focus, he’s averaging a mere 0.96 yards per route run, which is 86th out of 135 wide receivers with at least one target on the year.
Life won’t get any easier for the Colts offense this week, either. The Bears defense looks more than real through two games and held an electric Texans offense to just 19 points in Week 2. That comes after CJ Stroud and co. put 29 points on the Colts back in Week 1.
We’ll see what happens, but this would be a great week for Anthony Richardson and the Colts offense to get back on track. Having Pittman Jr. available should help.