With no individual awards or playoff wins under his belt with the Indianapolis Colts, wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. may have recently earned the highest personal award of his four-season tenure.
Among the Colts' eight team captains, there are several familiar faces holding the honor again for another season.
Pittman, though, is the sole player with a "C" on his chest for the first time in his career.
“It’s definitely something that I don't take lightly. I mean, that's one of the highest honors of any,” Pittman told reporters last week.
Along with Pittman, the Colts' team captains include defensive tackle DeForest Buckner (fourth year), linebacker Zaire Franklin (fifth year), quarterback Anthony Richardson (second year), running back Jonathan Taylor (second year), cornerback Kenny Moore II (third year), center Ryan Kelly (second year) and guard Quenton Nelson (fourth year).
Earning team captain status was the cherry on top for Pittman's noteworthy offseason, which kicked off with a three-year, $70 million contract extension.
Since the day he was selected with the No. 34 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Pittman has been a focal point of the horseshoe's offense. While he only started eight games in his rookie season, he still finished in the Colts' top five for yards and receptions.
He doubled his production in season two, starting every game and reaching at least 1,000 yards for the first time in his career on the back of 88 receptions.
Pittman kept up his WR1 status in his junior campaign, catching 99 passes for 925 yards in 16 games.
However, his 2023 season is what clinched Pittman his contract extension and captain status. His 1,152 yards were good for 14th-best in the entire NFL, and his 109 receptions were the fifth-most in the league.
Heading into his age-27 season, Pittman said he hasn't lost his playful nature when interacting with his teammates. It's not so much his maturity, but it's his reliability that resonates with the Colts.
“You're getting consistency from him every Sunday, and he’s going to play hurt. That's what I respect about him,” Indianapolis head coach Shane Steichen said. "The players see it, and they voted him a captain.”
The Colts open their 2024 season Sunday, Sept. 8 when they host the Houston Texans at 1 p.m. ET at Lucas Oil Stadium.
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