May 28, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (11) participates in OTA drills at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Steelers New Veteran WR is Breaking Out

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI
By Jack Markowski | Last updated Aug 8, 2026 9:00 AM ET

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Michael Pittman Jr. is finally settling into a groove with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and his uptick when it comes to his involvement in the team's offense in training camp proves that.

When it comes to playing alongside Aaron Rodgers, one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history, Pittman Jr. stated that he's simply trying to play up to his standards by matching him.

"Obviously Aaron is one of the best to ever play, so I'm just trying to match him," Pittman Jr. said.

Pittman Jr. went on to state that generating a stronger connection in his first year working with Rodgers is a matter of putting in more work and building on it as time goes on.

"We're trying to get in as many reps as possible, so that's why I kinda started out slow and you're seeing it ramp up more and more," Pittman Jr. said. "Looking to build on that, and just keep going I guess."

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Can Pittman Jr. Have a Career Year in Pittsburgh?

From the moment Pittman Jr. arrived in Pittsburgh, even when considering his three-year, $59 million extension, it was known he was going to slot in as the team's No. 2 option at receiver next to DK Metcalf.

Pittman Jr. was the Indianapolis Colts' No. 1 receiver for a number of years though, surpassing the 1,000-yard total in both 2021 and 2023, so he knows what it's like to garner that extra attention and a boatload of targets.

There are quite a few mouths to feed in the Steelers' offense, but Pittman Jr. believes a change of scenery and Mike McCarthy's system could help unlock some of his potential that the Colts failed to capitalize in towards the end of his tenure with the team.

"I don't mind being a possession receiver, 'cause that means I get lots of targets," Pittman Jr said. "I think that I could be more. Obviously that's why I was kind of looking for a change of scenery. I feel like I fell into a role, I felt like I had much more to give. So I came here, tried to be part of this offense that likes to stretch the field and we have lots of guys, we're gonna run lots of downfield concepts. I think that fits into my route tree more, so it doesn't get so like stagnant with that underneath stuff."

As far as WR2s go, there aren't a ton out there better than Pittman Jr. If he proves to be as strong of a fit in Pittsburgh as he believes to be, he could do a ton of damage catching passes from Rodgers.

This article first appeared on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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