INDIANAPOLIS — The numbers don’t lie, and right now, they are screaming at the Indianapolis Colts front office. After a disappointing 2025 campaign where the offense sputtered down the stretch, General Manager Chris Ballard faces a decision that is surprisingly simple on paper but heavy in the locker room. The team needs cap space, and Michael Pittman Jr. is the most obvious path to getting it.
The Athletic’s James Boyd didn’t mince words when selecting the veteran receiver as the team’s primary cut candidate. Pittman carries a massive $29 million salary cap hit for the 2026 season. If the Colts release him, they instantly free up $24 million in spending power.
Loyalty is rare in the NFL, but production is the only currency that matters. While Pittman struggled to find his rhythm, finishing the 2025 season with just 773 receiving yards (ranking 29th per PFF), Alec Pierce finally exploded. Pierce didn’t just stretch the field; he became the focal point, racking up 1,003 yards and averaging a blistering 21.3 yards per reception.
This changing of the guard makes Pittman’s contract an albatross. Paying a possession receiver nearly $30 million when he is no longer the top option is bad business. As Boyd noted, “There is no way Indianapolis will pay him that salary, especially after Alec Pierce supplanted him as the team’s No. 1 receiver.”
Here is the cold, hard math facing the Colts:
That $24 million is not just extra cash; it is essential fuel. It funds a contract extension for Pierce, helps shore up the secondary, or allows the Colts to chase a veteran pass-rusher. Keeping Pittman effectively paralyzes the team’s ability to upgrade other desperate needs.
Pittman isn’t hiding from the writing on the wall. In a league full of denial, his post-season comments were jarringly honest. He knows the first half of the season showed promise, but the collapse was undeniable.
“I’ve been here for six years, it’s been a good six. I’m hoping it’s not, but if this is my last, then I’ve really had a great time playing here… Every player is self aware. I know I didn’t cut it. And I look back at the first half, I’m like, man, it was going so good. And then something pivoted, it changed and then it went downhill.”
— Michael Pittman Jr., via ESPN
Expect the Colts to explore a trade first, though finding a partner willing to absorb that contract without a restructure is unlikely. A release prior to the new league year in March is the most probable outcome. For Pittman, a fresh start with a team needing a reliable safety blanket—perhaps the Patriots or Giants—makes sense. For the Colts, this move signals the official start of the Alec Pierce era.
