INDIANAPOLIS – In the blink of an eye – or with the inability to complete a fourth-and-1 pass – a season that could have been so much more ended.
“You go from a million miles an hour on that roller coaster to a complete stop,’’ Ryan Kelly said.
So, now what?
For Michael Pittman Jr., it’s seeing What’s out there. We’ll get to that in short order.
For Shane Steichen, it’s making certain to reinforce and add to the foundation put in place during his first year as head coach. Finishing 9-8 on the heels of 4-12-1 in 2022 represented a major step.
“To come up short,’’ he said Monday, “it was very disappointing, but a lot to learn from myself, everybody involved going forward so we can have a helluva 2024 season.’’
Steichen doesn’t anticipate changes to his coaching staff, including defensive coordinator Gus Bradley.
“I believe in continuity, I’ll say that,’’ he said, adding a bit later, “I worked with Gus for four years at the Chargers, so I’ve got background with Gus.
“Again, I believe in continuity, and I’ve got a ton of respect for Gus.’’
He’s eager to have a healthy Anthony Richardson at his disposal heading into 2024. The rookie quarterback underwent season-ending shoulder surgery after starting just four games.
“I think what happened to him was unfortunate,’’ Steichen said, “but I think it’s going to make him stronger at the end.’’
As soon as Steichen had completed his recap/lookahead with the media, Pittman stepped behind the podium.
If there’s one overarching personnel issue facing the Colts in the coming months, it’s what to do with their leading receiver.
Pittman, 25, is coming off the best season of his career: 109 receptions, 1,152 yards, four touchdowns. The receptions are tied with Marvin Harrison for the fourth-most in franchise history, and were fifth-most in the NFL this season.
His opening comments were generic and expected.
“We’ll be back next year,’’ he said. “You don’t just disappear because something bad happens.
“We just got to go back and keep working.’’
Quickly, Pittman was steered back to his future. He becomes an unrestricted free agent March 13.
“As of right now until March whatever, I’m still a Colt,’’ he said. “But speaking to the contract stuff, I made it this far so . . . I’ve loved my four years here, but I wouldn’t be doing my due diligence if I didn’t explore every option and find the best fit.
“I think we want to get a sense of what’s out there.’’
Trust us, Pittman knows every detail of every option that looms.
It was mentioned the Colts might limit his free-agent options by applying the franchise tag. The deadline to do that is March 5.
Pittman had done his research.
“The franchise tag, I don’t think anybody would be displeased with $23 million,’’ he said with a laugh. “The franchise tag is almost like a tag of respect because you get paid like the top-5 of your position.
“But do I necessarily want to play on one? I wouldn’t say necessarily no I do not want to play on the tag. You can use that to work on a long-term deal as well.’’
He and the Colts agreed to wait until the end of the season “and kind of feel it out,’’ Pittman said. “There really haven’t been any contract negotiations or offers just because we felt like it wasn’t the right time.
“I don’t know when the right time is. I’ve never done this before.’’
It’s hard to imagine the Colts not doing whatever it takes to retain one of their few playmakers. Cue the video from the loss to the Atlanta Falcons in week 16 to get a true gauge on Pittman’s value. With him out with a concussion, the offense seized up: 262 total yards and 170 gross yards passing in the 29-10 loss. The other wideouts combined for 77 yards on 10 catches.
Whatever the future holds, Pittman is due a massive payday.
The franchise tag carries a projected value of approximately $21.7 million guaranteed, according to overthecap.com. That’s probably the average-per-year floor for negotiations on a multiyear contract.
The top-6 wideouts in the league are making an average of $24 million.
Steichen fully appreciated Pittman’s presence.
“He was big for us,’’ he said. “What he did week-in and week-out, the numbers he put up, the consistency he played with, the toughness that he played with, I’ve got a ton of respect for him as a football player.
“He’s meant a lot to this organization and a lot to this city.’’
Pittman and Jonathan Taylor came in at the same time. The Colts used the 34th overall pick in the 2020 draft on Pittman, and selected Taylor at No. 41.
“Every single year he’s just proven it,’’ Taylor said. “I know timing is a big thing and being familiar with the quarterback. Every single year he’s had a different quarterback under center and he’s been able to consistently prove that, ‘Hey, I can be a playmaker for this team. I can be a playmaker in this league.’
“I think it shows.’’
Over Pittman’s four seasons, the Colts have started seven QBs: Richardson, Gardner Minshew II, Matt Ryan, Sam Ehlinger, Nick Foles, Carson Wentz and Philip Rivers.
In those four seasons, he’s piled up 336 receptions, 3,662 yards and 15 TDs. He’s led the team in catches/yards three straight seasons. He’s missed two games over the last three seasons.
“I don’t know why you wouldn’t want him in your building,’’ Taylor said. “I know I wouldn’t.’’
Yet Pittman prefers to at least look around and see what’s out there. It seems he yearns to see if there’s a system that might finally tap into him as a down-the-field threat. He’s averaged a modest 10.9 yards per catch, which is a reflection of the quarterbacks who’ve targeted him.
“I feel like (the Colts have) allowed me to show what I can do,’’ he said. “Obviously, there’s aspects of my game . . . that down-the-field throw. It’s just what type of offense we were this year. We ran a lot of RPOs and it worked well for us.’’
What’s the next step in his development?
“Really just perfecting my craft,’’ Pittman said. “Just look at guys like Davante Adams and Reggie Wayne, who really started going in year 4. They didn’t necessarily start out like a Ja’Marr Chase for a Justin Jefferson, but they ended up finishing and probably will be in the Hall of Fame.’’
You can follow Mike Chappell on Twitter at @mchappell51.