The Pittsburgh Steelers will have several new faces around in the 2026 season. From new head coach Mike McCarthy and his staff, to their recent offseason acquisitions, things will be different in the Steel City. Even more new faces will be in town following the work the organization does in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh. The team decided to go trade for some wide receiver help alongside DK Metcalf in hopes to improve their offensive output. Michael Pittman Jr. is just one of the many new acquisitions. However, his recent comments about the city may provide a jolt of energy.
Eric Thayer / Associated Press
Steelers' newly acquired wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. catches a touchdown pass in an NFL game against the Los Angeles Rams.
Pittman recently did an interview with Fox News Digital and it appears he is extremely excited to play in Pittsburgh. Pittman joins the Black and Gold following six seasons with the Indianapolis Colts after an offseason trade. Pittman has posted two 1,000-yard seasons in those six seasons with the Colts.
"Being in Pittsburgh, just the vibe of driving around, everybody is wearing something sports. It’s either the Steelers, the Pirates or the Penguins," Pittman said. "Somebody’s wearing some black and gold, which I think is awesome. They love their football there. I mean, Indy loves football, too. I’m not taking anything away from Indy fans, but it’s just the Pittsburgh — everybody knows Pittsburgh for being Pittsburgh. The Steelers, the fans. It is something crazy, and I’m excited to be there and be able to play for them."
While the franchise is stuck in a long playoff win drought, one thing remains clear. The loyalty for the Steelers has not wavered. Pittman now joins Metcalf as a very big, physical duo to take the field on offense for the team in 2026. The organization is also believed to add to that duo in the draft, despite the belief that they want to continue to develop Roman Wilson at that position in 2026.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers wide receiver Roman Wilson flexes his muscles after a big time play on Sunday night against the Green Bay Packers.
Metcalf had a frustrating season by his standards in 2025, and at times showed it while on the field. During a game against the Detroit Lions, there was also an altercation with a fan, which caused him to miss two games and end his regular season with 850 receiving yards. Pittman's 784 receiving yards in 2025 would have been good for second-best on the team among receivers behind just Metcalf himself.
Steelers Have A Chance To Fix The Offense With Metcalf And Pittman
As the organization gets ready to add prospects to this roster via the draft, they have a chance to put a statement on their already excellent offseason. They have not done well in recent years at finding impactful playmakers in the draft, instead going outside the organization to do so. The same can be said with the trade for Pittman, though it was praised as a great move by General Manager Omar Khan.
Now Khan has a chance to complement those offseason moves by changing the narrative in the draft and landing a few playmakers that they have failed to get in the draft. This year's draft class is filled with excellent wide receiver prospects so this draft is pivotal for Khan to improve the roster at that position. Wilson and wide receiver Ben Skowronek, who have combined for 21 receptions in two seasons, are the two notable receivers behind Metcalf and Pittman currently.
Matt Freed / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Pittsburgh Steelers General Manager Omar Khan speaking with members of the media.
That type of production outside of Pittman and Metcalf will not be enough to truly transcend the offensive side of the ball in 2026. The upgrade of Pittman is a good start, but there is still plenty of work to be done. Should Khan go out and land a couple of home run picks, Pittman will really see how much they love their football in Pittsburgh. Doing so would not only do that, but would also make Metcalf a lot happier compared to the 2025 season.
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