Michael Pittman Jr. is ready to take over as the Indianapolis Colts’ true No. 1 wide receiver for the 2022 NFL season and beyond.
Pittman’s rise as Indy’s go-to receiver heading into this season was fortuitous, to say the least.
First, the Colts had high hopes for Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Parris Campbell when they selected him 59th overall in the 2019 NFL Draft.
Unfortunately, Campbell has been injury-prone in his first three seasons – he has appeared in a combined 15 games since 2019.
Veteran wide receiver T.Y. Hilton has also been battling several injuries the past few years.
At this point, it remains unclear whether Hilton will return to the Colts, sign with another team, or simply retire and ride off into the sunset.
Indy then plucked talented Cincinnati Bearcats wide receiver Alec Pierce in this year’s draft.
It’s likelier Colts head coach Frank Reich will start Pierce opposite Pittman at wide receiver with Campbell coming off the bench in 2022.
Michael Pittman Jr. is WR1 ready 😤 pic.twitter.com/BhDN3uI8cI
— PFF Fantasy Football (@PFF_Fantasy) June 6, 2022
The dominoes have fallen into place for Pittman – he is primed for a breakout year this season.
Pittman Will Have Another 1,000-Yard-Plus Season In 2022
Pittman’s NFL career got off to a slow start.
He had 503 receiving yards and just one touchdown reception as a rookie in 2020.
Pittman recently made it known he wanted to double his production from his rookie season entering the 2021 NFL campaign.
He did just that – he had 1,082 receiving yards and six touchdown passes courtesy of Carson Wentz that year.
Pittman could’ve racked up more receiving yardage as last season wore on had Wentz kept his composure in some games.
Colts running back Jonathan Taylor‘s emergence as an MVP candidate also played a factor.
With Taylor running wild for 1,811 rushing yards, he became the focal point of the offense.
Consequently, Pittman and his other teammates took a backseat to Taylor.
Pittman will get more opportunities in 2022 with new quarterback Matt Ryan in tow.
Ryan’s accuracy and penchant for throwing over the middle bode well for Pittman’s game.
Reich and inside linebacker Darius Leonard have been raving about Pittman’s beast mentality – he has the mindset that nobody can stop him on the gridiron.
Pittman’s physicality also gives him an edge against overmatched defensive backs.
He proved this with an impressive touchdown haul from Wentz in the Colts’ sorry overtime road loss to the Baltimore Ravens last season.
WATCH YA HEAD!!
📺 ESPN pic.twitter.com/33oHHOZpcq
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) October 12, 2021
When you combine Pittman’s grit and tenacity with his technique, great things will happen for the Horseshoe with him as their No. 1 wide receiver.
Don’t act surprised if Pittman will become a Pro Bowler in the next two years or so.
If he is going to step up as the Colts’ true No. 1 receiver, he should also take on a bigger leadership role.
The third-year man will act as new wide receivers coach Reggie Wayne‘s trusty de facto assistant.
He will also mentor a young Colts receiving corps that includes Pierce, Ashton Dulin, and Dezmon Patmon.
Everything has fallen nicely into place for Pittman in 2022.
Without a doubt, he will exceed expectations as the Colts’ No. 1 wide receiver this season.
Leave a Reply