The Indianapolis Colts have been in need of a big-body playmaking wide receiver since Reggie Wayne retired in 2014. The team had a deep threat in T.Y. Hilton for a while. However, they needed a big wide receiver that would be a threat in the red zone, especially in jump ball situations. 

The Colts selected Michael Pittman Jr. with the 34th overall pick back in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft to address this need. Looking at the statistical output of his rookie year, it wasn’t a great season. However, Pittman ended his first season strong and seemingly figured out how to succeed at the NFL level. Each year after has seen him improve. Which is just one of the reasons why the Colts should extend Pittman.

Michael Pittman Jr. is getting better at catching passes

Each season Pittman has been with the Colts, his ability to catch passes has improved. His rookie season saw him catch 40 passes. In his second season, he more than doubled that number with 88 catches. Currently, this season he’s at 90, and with two games left, there is a possibility he reaches 100 catches. 

It’s easy to look at the volume of targets and say that is the reason why his number of catches has increased. And it’s true, but also his catch percentage has also increased. In his rookie season, he caught 65.6% of passes. The following season, he improved to 68.2%, and this year he’s at 70.3%. So while the volume has increased, so has his ability to catch more passes.