Michael Pittman Jr. was one of the veteran receivers tied to New England this offseason, but the Patriots ended up going a different direction - and early returns suggest they may have dodged a mistake.
The Patriots’ overhaul at wide receiver was one of the biggest storylines of their offseason. They sent A.J.
Brown to Foxborough for a first-round pick, added Romeo Doubs in free agency, cut Stefon Diggs after he became their first 1,000-yard receiver since Julian Edelman in 2019, and dealt Kayshon Boutte to the Houston Texans after a breakout season. Brown barely got going before a high ankle sprain sent him to IR, and Doubs opened the year with a nightmare line: no catches on three targets, with two of those targets turning into an interception and a costly drop.
Since then, Doubs has settled in. He posted 96 yards in Week 2 and then delivered two touchdowns in the Patriots’ huge Week 4 win over the Bills on Sunday, including a one-handed grab that stood out in the biggest moments.
Pittman, meanwhile, ended up in Pittsburgh. On March 13, the Steelers landed him for a swap of late-round picks, then committed nearly $20 million per season on a three-year deal.
The move made sense on paper after Pierce signed a four-year extension the day before, and after Pittman was coming off his lowest yardage total since his rookie season in 2020, with 784 yards. But the first month of the season has not justified that kind of investment.
Through three games played in four weeks, Pittman has only 7 catches on 12 targets for 89 yards. That’s less than 30 yards per game, and over a full 17-game season it would barely top the 503 yards he had as a rookie. He also hasn’t looked like the steady veteran Pittsburgh paid for.
For the Steelers, trading for a receiver with multiple 1,000-yard seasons was understandable. Extending him before seeing a snap was a much bigger leap. A late-round pick swap was one thing; nearly $20 million per year was another.
New England may have been tempted to use Pittman as a rental, but the first month of the season has made one thing clear: the Patriots are probably glad they stuck with Doubs instead.
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Former Patriots Draft Pick Just Got Another NFL Opportunity
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