Pittman certainly makes perfect sense for the Steelers, both given their offense last season and the gaping hole on the depth chart under DK Metcalf.
Metcalf led the team with 850 yards and six touchdowns in his first campaign in Pittsburgh. He was the only wide receiver in the top five in catches; he finished with 59, second only to quarterback Kenneth Gainwell, who left in free agency for the Buccaneers.
On top of the lackluster stats from the WR room over the course of the season, Metcalf missed Pittsburgh’s final two games of the regular season due to a suspension, making it abundantly clear that the team needed to address the position moving forward. Aaron Rodgers firing three consecutive missed completions to Marquez Valdes-Scantling in the final moments of a Week 17 loss to the Browns was most emblematic of such a reality.
Had Pittman been in black and gold, he certainly would have stabilized Pittsburgh’s playoff lineup without a WR1.
He is coming off a season in which he had 80 receptions for 784 yards and seven touchdowns. Since becoming the Colts’ full-time starter in 2021, his second NFL season, he has averaged 89 receptions and 950 yards per year. He’s a consistent chain mover – an ideal complement to a big-play threat like Metcalf, replacing Gainwell in short areas.
His bread and butter, getting open underneath, could make him Rodgers’ new favorite target, if the four-time MVP ultimately chooses to return to the Steelers for a 22nd NFL season. Rodgers ranked 40th in the NFL in 2025 with an average depth of 6.4 yards per PFF. Serving as the quarterback’s safety valve has certainly crossed Pittman’s mind.
“Anytime you have an opportunity to play with a Hall of Famer, you always take it,” Pittman said. “We also have two really good quarterbacks here in Mason (Rudolph) and Will (Howard), so whatever it ends up being, I think we’ll have a good plan offensively and we’ll make the most of it.”
A new NFL home, however, could also mean turning the page, and Pittman wants to show he has more in his bag of tricks than leading near the line of scrimmage. He showed it at times in his first two seasons when he averaged 12.6 and 12.3 yards per reception, respectively, two career highs, and after speaking with coach Mike McCarthy, he believes more versatility is in store.
“I don’t want to give away his secret sauce, but it was very positive and changed what I can do,” Pittman said of the conversation with McCarthy. “Because, obviously, in Indy, I played a certain role there. You were asked to play a certain role. Like you have to. So [now I’m] just coming back to where I have a more diverse path tree.”
Whoever ends up throwing him passes, and however Pittsburgh ends up using Pittman, the Steelers are much better off in the receiving game than they were a week ago thanks to getting him.