Colts' Michael Pittman: Not going anywhere, per GM

Colts general manager Chris Ballard said Wednesday that Pittman will be on the team's roster for the upcoming season, whether via contract extension or the franchise tag, Nate Atkins of The Indianapolis Star reports.

Pittman is approaching free agency for the first time in his NFL career, but the Colts aren't planning on giving him a chance to explore the open market. Indianapolis has until March 5 to decide whether to place the franchise tag on Pittman, which would result in him taking home a salary of approximately $21.8 million for 2024. However, the team seemingly prefers to work out a longer-term extension with Pittman, provided the two sides can come to an agreement. The Colts haven't used the franchise tag since 2013, and Pittman himself has said he would prefer a multi-year contract, per Stephen Holder of ESPN.com.