Week 18 isn't just the end of the regular season, but for some players, it's the last game they'll play for their teams. That could well be the case for Indianapolis Colts' receiver Michael Pittman Jr., something he readily acknowledged following the Week 18 loss to the Houston Texans.
Per ESPN's Stephen Holder, Pittman offered an "unprompted" quote about his "uncertain future" with the team.
"I've been here for six years, it's been a good six," Pittman said. "I'm hoping it's not, but if this is my last, then I've really had a great time playing here."
Pittman, a second-round pick of the Colts in 2020, is signed for the 2026 season. But, as he'd be due $29 million if he were on the team next year, he's certainly a strong candidate to be cut. Pittman's best years with the Colts were in 2021 and 2023, when he had 88 receptions for 1,082 yards and 109 receptions for 1,152 yards, respectively. His numbers were generally down in 2025, as he caught 78 passes for 773 yards, the latter of which was the lowest of his career since his rookie season. But despite the comparatively low yardage total, Pittman's seven touchdown receptions were a career high.
The 2025 season started with great promise for the Colts, who, at 7-1, seemed to be a lock for the postseason and a valid contender for the No. 1 seed in the AFC. But as good as the first half of the season was, the second half was every bit as bad. Quarterback Daniel Jones suffered a season-ending injury in Week 14, which sent the already slumping Colts into a tailspin. Indianapolis was 1-8 over the season's final nine games and finished the season on a seven-game losing streak.