Trade Pitch Lands Broncos Realistic No. 1 Option

The Denver Broncos are in the market for a No. 1 option to pair with Bo Nix. Sean Payton is famous for having success with at least one top receiver and the Broncos have already had so much success without one it will be scary to see what they can do with one. There have been a lot of talks of the Broncos being linked to different wide receivers, but the most realistic option may be one that nobody is talking about.

A talented wide receiver entering their prime that the Broncos could get for a reasonable price is Indianapolis Colts star receiver Michael Pittman Jr. Pittman is a 27-year-old 6'4 223-pound wide receiver who was a second-round pick out of USC in 2020. He has had an up-and-down career with the Colts so far and may be looking for a fresh start in a new home to put him on the right track.

Pittman has had two 1,000-yard seasons in his five seasons, his best season being two years ago in 2023. Last season, he put up 69 catches for 808 yards and three touchdowns. These are pretty solid stats, considering the Colts' quarterback struggles and offensive struggles in general. Anthony Richardson dealt with some injuries that kept him out of six games last year, and he struggled with finding a rhythm when he was out there.

The Colts have had a lot of struggles while Pittman has been there and he has not played in a playoff game since his rookie year where he had five catches for 90 yards and one rush for 11 yards in a loss vs the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card game.  Pittman has had some up and down play and a lot of that has to do with Anthony Richardson being in and out the lineup.

Pittman may want to play with a young gunslinger in Bo Nix and play for a team that looks like they are going to play in some big games over the next few years. Pittman has one more year left on his deal with a potential out, and it is uncertain if he wants to return to Indianapolis and if the Colts want to bring him back. This could give the Colts an incentive to trade Pittman before they possibly lose him for nothing.

The Colts have been stuck in mediocrity for some years now, and they may have to make some big moves if they want to change the culture of the program. These moves could mean starting over and cleaning house, they also might not want to allocate a bunch of money to Pittman when they have a lot of areas that they need to fix.

The Broncos could be the team to take Pittman in and help put his career on the right track. Since the Colts may lose him for nothing the asking price is probably lower than his value and they could get a big time receiver by bringing him. What what receivers have been going for Pittman is probably worth a second or third along with a later pick and maybe a player.

If the Colts do want a player Audric Estime, Adam Trautman, Jordan Jackson, Eyioma Uwazurike, Dondrea Tillman, or Jonah Elliss. The Colts are in need of tight end and running back depth desperately and they also need to build up their defensive line. They also recently lost E.J. Speed so they could be looking for some help at linebacker as well.

Regardless of what picks and which player the Colts want it is all worth it for a player like Pittman. Pittman is about to enter his prime and the Broncos could trade for him and then lock him up on a long term deal to make him and Bo Nix one of the most dangerous duos in the NFL. The Broncos could get their guy for a low price and Pittman could have a bounce back year and be back in a winning environment.

Hopefully some kind of deal can happen before training camp so Nix and Pittman can start building a connection right away. This team would be very interesting with Pittman leading the offense next season.