The Pittsburgh Steelers made the move to trade for wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. in March of 2026. Following the trade, the team signed him to a three-year, $59 million contract extension. Pittman Jr. was the presumed No. 2 wide receiver on the depth chart, behind DK Metcalf. He was viewed as a potential safety blanket for quarterback Aaron Rodgers. So far in 2026, this has not been the case as Pittman Jr. has appeared in three games and totaled 7 receptions for 89 yards. At the moment, the move for Pittman Jr. is not looking too hot for Pittsburgh.
Barry Reeger / Imagn Images
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Roman Wilson (14) celebrates with wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (11) and center Zach Frazier (54) after a touchdown during the first quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at Acrisure Stadium.
Pittman Jr. currently ranks sixth on the Steelers in receptions and receiving yards, which are very disappointing marks considering what Pittsburgh invested in him.
Along with his poor numbers have come consistent injury issues. Pittman Jr. missed a large portion of training camp and the preseason. He also missed the Steelers' Week 2 contest against the New England Patriots, a game that resulted in the team's worst offensive performance of 2026 so far.
Recently, Pittman Jr. aggravated a foot injury during practice and has been spotted using a knee scooter in the locker room. Pittman Jr. will not be on the field for the Steelers' upcoming Week 5 matchup with the Indianapolis Colts, as he was ruled out. It only gets worse too: Head Coach Mike McCarthy stated that Pittman Jr. could miss multiple games and the team is weighing a potential injured reserve stint for him.
During a recent episode of the Deebo & Joe podcast, former Steelers cornerback Joe Haden weighed in on the situation.
"Looking at it as a team, you brought in a guy that you were hoping was going to be successful," Haden explained. "They gave him a three-year contract for $59 million. When you judge a contract on how good it was, you look at ability to be on the field. It is not looking too great right now."
While Pittman Jr. still has a chance to prove that he was worth the investment, he is running out of time to do so this season. If he ends up missing multiple weeks, it could seriously hurt his image in the Steel City and negatively affect how the front office views his contract.
Even if Pittman Jr. does not put up monster numbers, he could still be considered a good investment. If he can manage to be in the lineup on game days for the rest of the season and be a consistent option for Rodgers, the contract will have been objectively worth it. With all the factors at play, it seems unlikely that this move will provide value for Pittsburgh, at least not in 2026.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Michael Pittman Jr. celebrates while Darnell Washington stands in the background.
Pittman Jr. has the experience and recorded production to garner the contract that the Steelers gave him. In his six seasons with the Colts, he racked up 485 receptions for 5,254 yards and 25 touchdowns. He was the consistent No. 1 option in the Colts' offense and proved to be one of the more reliable targets in the NFL.
Pittman Jr.'s value in Pittsburgh is going to boil down to his ability to be on the field. If he can return to full health and provide consistent results, he has a chance to end up as one of the better players in the team's offense.
Steelers' Young Wide Receivers Will Have More Opportunities
With Pittman Jr. potentially missing multiple games, two names come to mind of players that could step up in his place; Roman Wilson and Germie Bernard. Wilson, who is currently second in receiving for Pittsburgh, will have a chance to improve on his 2026 season performance. He has become one of Rodgers' preferred targets and should continue to be just that. Bernard should also get the opportunity to improve during his rookie season. While he has only totaled 7 receptions for 60 yards thus far, he has looked impressive in limited action. Pittman Jr.'s absence could surely create more opportunities for either of these players. It will be interesting to see how the wide receiver room is viewed at the end of the 2026 season.
#SteelerNation