In Week 1, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. had a solid debut. He didn’t put up eye-popping numbers, but he made critical first-down catches and created yards after the catch against a good Falcons secondary. He missed Week 2, and his absence was noticeable. Pittman returned in Week 3 but didn’t come close to matching his Week 1 production. Then came Thursday night, when Pittman struggled to make much of an impact.
Pittman saw some opportunities as a run blocker and generally looked decent in that role. However, when the Steelers called upon him in the passing game, he didn’t produce. Not all of it was his fault, but he struggled to do what he did so well with the Colts: get open.
So… what exactly was going on?
Pittman’s Production Was Non-Existent in Week 4
Pittman caught two passes for 15 yards on four targets Thursday night. His performance wasn’t enough to qualify for a Next Gen Stats measurement of his separation in coverage. When the film was turned on, though, it became understandable why he didn’t receive more targets. Pittman’s routes were sloppy, uninspiring and simply not good enough.
His chemistry with Aaron Rodgers has also been inconsistent. Missing so much time during training camp probably isn’t helping right now, either.
Here’s the bottom line: Pittman hasn’t consistently gotten open like he did in Indianapolis, where he also made difficult catches. Per Next Gen Stats, in 2024, he averaged 2.4 yards of separation. That number increased to 3.0 in 2025, but it has hovered around 2.6 yards this season. He can create separation, and we’ve seen him do it this season.
Pittman Has Shown His Value in This Offense
In that Week 1 contest, Pittman caught three passes for 58 yards. That included 24 yards after the catch, something he didn’t do often during his time in Indianapolis. However, his production hasn’t been the same since.
Is the foot injury still bothering him? Has Pittman lost a step? Was Thursday simply a difficult assignment on a short week after limited practice work over the previous two weeks?
Whatever the issue, the Steelers need to find a solution. If Pittman isn’t healthy enough to be effective, he needs time to recover. If Thursday was simply a bad game, he needs to bounce back immediately.
The Steelers need Pittman to serve as a reliable third-down possession receiver. That’s his ideal role, and he showed it in Week 1 with two critical late third-down conversions. Now, the Steelers need to figure out what it will take to get Pittman back on track.
