INDIANAPOLIS -- Indianapolis Colts receiver Michael Pittman Jr. burst off the line of scrimmage on a third-and-seven. As he looked back in search of the ball, he found an incoming spiral from quarterback Gardner Minshew.
What Pittman did not see was Carolina Panthers safety Xavier Woods converging with a full head of steam. Woods launched himself into Pittman's chest, delivering a brutal hit on the defenseless receiver.
The play drew an immediate penalty flag for unnecessary roughness. Meanwhile, tight end Kylen Granson, assuming the worst, looked to the Indianapolis sideline and summoned the team's athletic trainers as Pittman seemed slow to get up.
But as Granson and others rushed to check on their teammate, what they discovered was surprising: Pittman was just fine.
And after the jarring sequence, Pittman's first thought was not to wonder if he might have sustained an injury.
"I was like, 'Oh, crap!'" Granson recalled. "They threw a flag, so I'm like, 'Hey, hey, take your time, man.' But he was saying, 'Ah, man, why'd this have to happen when I'm mic'd up.'"
The moment of levity lightened the mood. And minutes later, after being checked by the Colts' medical staff, Pittman was back on the field.
"Some guys aren't looking to get right back in that game" after such a hit, offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter said. "If he could have been in there the next play, he would have been."
It's no surprise that a player who relishes initiating contact -- Pittman is also a devastating blocker -- is just fine absorbing contact, too.
There's a reason coach Shane Steichen refers to Pittman as the team's enforcer. Minshew routinely throws him balls in traffic knowing Pittman won't shy away.
"Sometimes we have him on the edge blocking [defensive] ends with tight ends," Steichen said.
Pittman's reputation for toughness is well-earned. And soon, Pittman could have another identity: One of the NFL's highest-paid receivers.
The 2020 second-round pick is on track for a career year, likely to surpass 1,000 yards in Saturday's critical matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers at Lucas Oil Stadium (4:30 p.m. ET, NFL Network). With free agency approaching in the coming offseason, he's expected to earn a massive new contract, whether from the Colts or an outside suitor (although the Colts do have the franchise tag at their disposal).
When the time comes to talk money, Pittman anticipates endless debate about the merits of paying him a salary comparable to the game's elite receivers, especially if he joins the current group of 13 wideouts averaging $20 million or more annually.
But for Pittman, yesterday's price is not today's price.
"We haven't really talked about it, but that's not a bad thing," he said of a potential extension. "I feel like it's worked out in my favor. If I would've did a deal at the beginning of the year, it probably would've been less than what I could potentially get in the future."
Among Pittman's defining qualities is his authenticity. What you see -- and hear -- is what you get. That sometimes takes different forms, like when he complained after a loss to the Cleveland Browns about his lack of involvement in the offense. Pittman later clarified his comments and apologized publicly, saying, "I've never been a good loser."
So, when Pittman is asked about how he's coped with the circumstances around him, you should expect an honest answer. Pittman, 26, has already played with seven different starting quarterbacks in his four seasons. In his past 23 games alone -- going back to Week 8 of the 2022 season -- Pittman has played with five different starters.
And he's produced in spite of it.
"It's easier to come out the gate with a guy you've had for the past three years because then they know you," Pittman said. "But you don't always have that luxury. And we're hoping with [Anthony Richardson], he's going to end that cycle. But I'm here for now. I don't know what the future holds."
Richardson, the Colts' fourth overall draft pick earlier this year, started four games before sustaining a season-ending shoulder injury. Pittman is bullish on Richardson's potential, but he's made the best of things with Minshew in the meantime.
"I'd say a great receiver is a guy who performs consistently at a high level no matter what the situation is," Pittman said. "So, he's going to show up, rain, shine, snow, whether it's the starting quarterback, the backup quarterback... he's going to show up in every system that he's been in and be able to have success without a long-term quarterback."
That's Pittman's way of giving you his resume. But he endeavors to reach higher heights. He said he admires players like the Buccaneers' Mike Evans for his decade-long run of consistency, including 10 straight 1,000-yard seasons spanning good years and bad in Tampa Bay.
"It's not always the sexiest, but he's done it for a very long time and he's consistent every single game," Pittman said.
Pittman has been among the league's most consistent receivers of late, too. Since the start of the 2021 season, only Tyreek Hill, Davante Adams, Stefon Diggs and Amon-Ra St. Brown have more than Pittman's 282 receptions.
Now, Pittman is identifying areas of his game to improve on. He's admittedly frustrated with the depth of his targets this season -- he ranks 67th in yards per target (7.5) -- citing his role in the offense as the reason. When asked about his targets and routes, he says, "I wish they were a little deeper." But Pittman has pinpointed increasing his yards after the catch as a way to offset that.
Watching players like A.J. Brown, DK Metcalf and Deebo Samuel has given Pittman something to think about.
"They're good at stretching those short stop routes," he said. "They'll run hitches and stops and then be facing [the quarterback]. And then they'll give a jab [step] and they're able to slip a tackle."
Pittman is also working on his body, dropping to 212 pounds this season (he's officially listed at 223). He feels there's potentially a correlation between being in better shape and the run he's been on, with 29 catches for 307 yards in his past three games.
"He's surprising me right now," veteran receiver and return man Isaiah McKenzie said. "At the beginning of the season, I would have said, 'I don't know if Pitt is playing his best football.' But he has turned it up completely in the last four or five weeks."
Finally, Pittman has also prioritized his leadership role, becoming the primary voice in his unit. Leadership doesn't come naturally for him, but he's happily accepted the role. And just as Pittman has become the Colts' go-to receiver on the field, he's assumed a similar role off the field, hosting a recent Thanksgiving dinner for the receivers and, this week, an elaborate holiday meal for them at his home.
But hospitality isn't really Pittman's thing. He's more at ease making defenders uncomfortable. He'd rather deliver a blow, but he's willing to take them, too. Pittman is eager to do whatever it takes to be among the best -- and to be paid like it.
"When I'm done [playing], I want people to say, 'He was a great teammate, he always showed up and he was a hard-nosed guy,'" Pittman said. "People look at it like just a game. But when you really look at it, I've been playing tackle football since 5 years old, working towards this point.
"This is my life's work, and I care deeply about it."