Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. has been ruled out of his team’s Week 16 matchup with the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
Pittman was knocked out of his team’s win over the Pittsburgh Steelers last weekend after taking a hard hit from Steelers safety Damontae Kazee, which resulted in Kazee’s ejection and suspension. Pittman said that he did not even recall the hit.
However, Pittman cleared concussion protocol on Friday and appeared on track to play against the Falcons, but apparently, the Colts don’t think Pittman is well enough to take the field. It should be noted that the wide out is also dealing with a shoulder injury.
This is significant news for Indianapolis, which is battling for playoff positioning in the bustling AFC. The Colts are 8-6 and currently hold the final Wild Card spot in the conference, but with so many clubs competing for the last couple of playoff slots, one loss could end up dooming Indy, so not having its No. 1 receiver is obviously a big deal.
Pittman has hauled in 99 receptions for 1,062 yards and four touchdowns this season.
The 26-year-old, who played his collegiate football at the University of Southern California, was selected by the Colts in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
He had a rather uneventful rookie campaign, catching 40 passes for 503 yards and a score. Then, the following year, Michael Pittman Jr. broke out, catching 88 passes for 1,082 yards while reaching the end zone six times. He took a bit of a step back last season in terms of efficiency. He managed to snare 99 balls, but for just 925 yards and four touchdowns.
Indianapolis has made the playoffs just twice since 2015.
After taking on the Falcons in Atlanta this Sunday, the Colts will head home to host the Las Vegas Raiders and Houston Texans to wrap up the regular season.
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