Many expected the Pittsburgh Steelers to add another wide receiver to strengthen the receiving corps alongside veteran DK Metcalf, especially if Aaron Rodgers decides to return and continue running the offense. The assumption around the league was that Pittsburgh would address that need once free agency opened. Instead, the Steelers didn’t wait that long. On Monday, they made an early move to reinforce their receiving group.

According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Pittsburgh has acquired Michael Pittman Jr. in a trade from the Indianapolis Colts. The exact compensation hasn’t been officially confirmed yet, though multiple reports indicate the deal involves a late-round draft pick. Shortly after the trade, the Steelers also locked Pittman into a new contract. Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, Pittsburgh signed him to a three-year, $59 million deal.

The move is interesting considering earlier reports suggested the Steelers had interest in another Colts receiver, Alec Pierce. That possibility quickly disappeared when Indianapolis re-signed Pierce to a four-year, $116 million contract, also reported by Schefter.

Pittman, meanwhile, had signed his own extension with Indianapolis not long ago. After a standout 2023 campaign, when he caught 109 passes for 1,152 yards and four touchdowns, the Colts rewarded him with a three-year, $71.5 million extension in 2024 that included $46 million guaranteed.

His production dipped slightly in the first season of that deal. Pittman finished with 69 receptions for 808 yards and three touchdowns across 16 games.

The 2025 season didn’t quite bounce back the way Indianapolis hoped, either. Pittman posted 80 receptions for 784 yards and a career-high seven touchdowns while playing all 17 games. Despite the touchdown spike, the yardage total marked his lowest output since his rookie season.

After the 2025 season wrapped up, Pittman was entering the final season of that three-year contract. At the same time, the Colts appeared ready to move forward with Pierce as their primary receiver, which ultimately opened the door for this trade.

Financially, the move also benefits Indianapolis. By trading Pittman, the Colts reportedly save $24 million against the salary cap while taking on about $5 million in dead money.

For Pittsburgh, the deal continues a recent trend of aggressive moves at the receiver position. This marks the second major trade the Steelers have made for a wideout in the past two offseasons.

Just last year, Pittsburgh traded for Metcalf from the Seattle Seahawks before signing him to a five-year, $150 million contract extension. Metcalf’s first season in Pittsburgh, however, didn’t quite match expectations. He finished the year with a career-low 850 receiving yards.

Now, the Steelers are hoping Pittman can help balance the passing attack and take some pressure off Metcalf, especially as Mike McCarthy begins his first season as Pittsburgh’s head coach, with Rodgers expected to return for his second season with the Steelers.

How can Michael Pittman Jr.’s trade influence Aaron Rodgers’ return

It was pretty clear early on that Aaron Rodgers needed time to adjust to his new receiving group after joining the Steelers. That learning curve showed up throughout the season as well.

The Steelers’ top wideout ended up being DK Metcalf, who finished the year with 850 receiving yards. After him, the next two leaders in receiving yardage weren’t even wide receivers. Tight end Pat Freiermuth finished with 486 yards, while running back Kenneth Gainwell also recorded 486 yards.

In other words, Rodgers was largely leaning on Metcalf as his primary receiving option, while the tight end and running back handled much of the remaining production in the passing game.

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The numbers back that up as well. Across 67 pass attempts this season with Metcalf off the field, Rodgers completed just 56.7% of his passes while averaging 4.7 yards per attempt. His average time to throw in those situations was 2.53 seconds, with an explosive pass rate of only 10.4%.

By late in the season, the frustration had started to surface publicly.

Following a disappointing December 2025 loss to the Buffalo Bills, a game that eventually led to boos from the crowd, Rodgers openly challenged his receivers. The quarterback noted:

“When there’s film sessions, everybody shows up, and when I check to a route, you do the right route. … We have our meetings every week. We have other opportunities outside of the facility, and [I] look forward to seeing all the boys there.”

In that game, Rodgers completed just 10 of 21 passes for 117 yards, marking the third-lowest yardage total of his career in any game where he attempted at least 20 passes. The 10 completions were also his fewest in a game with 20 or more pass attempts.

So even after Pittsburgh acquired Metcalf last offseason, the offense still lacked another dependable wide receiver who could help Rodgers operate the system consistently.

Now, with Michael Pittman Jr. signed to a three-year, $59 million deal, it looks like the Steelers are trying to fix that problem by giving their veteran quarterback another reliable target.

And while nothing has been officially confirmed yet, the move could play a role in Rodgers’ own decision about whether to return for one more season.