INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Colts have placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr.
Pittman has been with the Colts for four seasons and has 336 receptions for 3,662 yards and 15 touchdowns. He ranks tied for 10th in the NFL in receptions in that timespan.
Pittman was selected by the Colts in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
He became the fourth player in franchise history to catch 100 passes in a season. That puts him in the company of Dallas Clark, Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne.
On Feb. 29, Colts general manager Chris Ballard was noncommittal about potentially using the franchise tag on Pittman. He said at that time he expected the impending free agent to be with the Colts for the upcoming season.
It's the first time Indianapolis has used the franchise tag since 2013 and the first time in Ballard's tenure.
It's an effort to keep Pittman in town for 2024 as the two sides continue to work out a long-term deal. Head coach Shane Steichen spoke with media Tuesday morning.
"Here's what I'll say about Pitt: The player he is, the person he is, the competitor he is, the playmaker he is, we love everything about him obviously and we want him to be a Colt," Steichen said.
Steichen and the Colts got its wish right before the 4 p.m. Tuesday deadline.
Pittman completed the final year of his rookie deal this past season and was eligible for free agency. The franchise tag pays him the average pay of the top NFL wide receivers in the NFL - just under $22 million - a near-$19 million increase from what he made this past season.
It allows him to further develop with quarterback Anthony Richardson.
"You got a reliable player like Pitt who shows up every Sunday and makes plays like he does, it definitely helps a young quarterback to keep getting that chemistry with those two guys building will be huge for Anthony's growth," said Steichen
Pittman is coming off his best season as a Colt, with 109 receptions, over 1,100 yards, and four touchdowns. Now he's back for a fifth season in Indianapolis.
"He's going to show up and you know what you're getting every Sunday. You're going to get a guy who's going to go make plays. You're going to get the same guy on the practice field as you're going to get in the meeting rooms that you're going to get on gameday on Sunday. To have that type of guy on our football team is huge going forward," Steichen said.