Michael Pittman Jr. didn't participate in the Colts' veteran minicamp practices Tuesday and Wednesday after he banged his knee against cornerback Jaylon Jones during an OTA practice in May.
He said he's fine – it's nothing that'll keep him from taking part in whatever informal pre-training camp throwing sessions he and his teammates organize – so many the more interesting takeaway is what Pittman said Wednesday about the contract extension he signed in March.
"I'm trying to figure out a way to say this and not be, like, ungrateful — because obviously I'm grateful for everything I have," Pittman said. "But I'm not motivated by money. That doesn't make me feel like I made it or I got it. And I just think that is the death of guys' careers, when they get comfortable with stuff like that. Obviously it's nice to have but it's not what motivates me when it comes to football."
As wide receiver contracts have exploded around the league – Justin Jefferson, Amon-Ra St. Brown, A.J. Brown, Jaylen Waddle, Devonta Smith and Nico Collins all signed extensions after Pittman – the fifth-year wideout isn't worried about where he lands money-wise among that group.
Performance-wise among that group, though – that's where Pittman's motivation lies.
"Respect, really — it's being respected at the top of my position," Pittman said. "Which is what I'm going at."
A sneak peek at a sneaky camp battle
On a team that's returning players who accounted for 91 percent of the team's starts in 2023, there aren't a ton of plain-to-see position battles that could play out during training camp.
There will be competition, of course – that goes for every position. But one spot on the roster where a fascinating camp battle is brewing is at running back behind Jonathan Taylor.
"When the pads come on, the running backs really figure it out," offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter said. "We're out here, these four guys gotta go through passing camp but they love carrying the football. So that time is gonna come for them."
OTAs and minicamp – which are all non-padded practices – are not the most conducive time for a competition. But behind Taylor are three players Cooter pointed to: Trey Sermon, Tyler Goodson and Evan Hull. And while the focus is more on passing right now, Cooter is able to see a strong competition taking shape.
"Trey sure does get the ball to the right place a whole, whole lot," Cooter said. "Goodie has come in and shoot, he plays fast, he's running around out there, he gets open in the pass game, makes nice catches, has hit some nice runs in camp. Like I said, pads aren't on, we aren't running it a ton. And Evan Hull has really on his way back from injury done a nice job coming in and getting himself back going into the flow of things.
"... Those guys, there's some great opportunities ahead of those guys to get carries, to get playing time, to earn that game action. We think we know those guys pretty well, but it's our second year going here and different guys arrived at different times last year, so we're kind of excited to get a full camp with these guys and find out more about them and obviously complement JT, who's going to be so huge for us this year."
View photos from day two of Indianapolis Colts minicamp on Tuesday at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center.
49 LB Craig Young
96 DT Taven Bryan
55 DE Isaiah Land
91 DE Titus Leo
Cato June Assistant Linebackers
Gus Bradley Defensive Coordinator
8 QB/WR Jason Bean
5 QB Anthony Richardson, 15 QB Joe Flacco
54 DE Dayo Odeyingbo
32 S Julian Blackmon
28 RB Jonathan Taylor
28 RB Jonathan Taylor, 5 QB Anthony Richardson
Head Coach Shane Steichen
56 G Quenton Nelson
10 WR Adonai Mitchell
28 RB Jonathan Taylor
28 RB Jonathan Taylor
81 TE Mo Alie-Cox
2 WR D.J. Montgomery, 13 WR Kaylon Horton, 21 CB Dallis Flowers
4 QB Sam Ehlinger
4 QB Sam Ehlinger
20 S Nick Cross
15 QB Joe Flacco
10 WR Adonai Mitchell
9 WR Juwann Winfree
Brent Jackson Defensive Quality Control
62 C Wesley French, 73 T Blake Freeland
23 CB Kenny Moore II
1 WR Josh Downs
23 CB Kenny Moore II
33 CB Micah Abraham
36 S Kendall Brooks
21 CB Dallis Flowers
39 CB Darrell Baker Jr.
1 WR Josh Downs
21 CB Dallis Flowers
40 CB Jaylon Jones
23 CB Kenny Moore II
40 CB Jaylon Jones
39 CB Darrell Baker Jr.
80 TE Jelani Woods, \449\, 85 TE Drew Ogletree, 86 TE Will Mallory, 84 TE Jordan Murray
67 C Jack Anderson, 65 G Josh Sills
1 WR Josh Downs
1 WR Josh Downs
1 WR Josh Downs
6 WR Anthony Gould
98 DT Raekwon Davis, 52 DE Samson Ebukam, 91 DE Titus Leo
76 T Jake Witt, 79 T Bernhard Raimann, 78 C Ryan Kelly, 63 C Danny Pinter, 65 G Josh Sills
62 C Wesley French, 71 T Matt Goncalves, Chris Watt Assistant Offensive Line, 76 T Jake Witt
96 DT Taven Bryan
71 T Matt Goncalves, 65 G Josh Sills, 78 C Ryan Kelly, 63 C Danny Pinter, Tony Sparano Jr. Offensive Line, 62 C Wesley French, 56 G Quenton Nelson
98 DT Raekwon Davis
98 DT Raekwon Davis
52 DE Samson Ebukam
54 DE Dayo Odeyingbo
91 DE Titus Leo
51 DE Kwity Paye
30 CB Jaylin Simpson
Charlie Partridge Defensive Line
Charlie Partridge Defensive Line
74 DT Jonah Laulu
97 DE Laiatu Latu
97 DE Laiatu Latu
32 S Julian Blackmon
Chris Ballard General Manager
33 CB Micah Abraham
99 DT DeForest Buckner
28 RB Jonathan Taylor
28 RB Jonathan Taylor
26 RB Evan Hull
27 RB Trey Sermon
28 RB Jonathan Taylor
28 RB Jonathan Taylor, DeAndre Smith Running Backs
32 S Julian Blackmon
36 RB Trent Pennix
15 QB Joe Flacco
21 CB Dallis Flowers
39 CB Darrell Baker Jr.
99 DT DeForest Buckner
31 RB Tyler Goodson
9 WR Juwann Winfree
49 LB Craig Young
9 WR Juwann Winfree, 10 WR Adonai Mitchell, 7 K Matt Gay, 1 WR Josh Downs
Mason Fairchild
49 LB Craig Young
25 S Rodney Thomas II
34 RB Zavier Scott, 32 S Julian Blackmon
44 LB Zaire Franklin
51 DE Kwity Paye
30 CB Jaylin Simpson, 91 DE Titus Leo
32 S Julian Blackmon, 40 CB Jaylon Jones
56 G Quenton Nelson, 98 DT Raekwon Davis
1 WR Josh Downs, 10 WR Adonai Mitchell, 30 CB Jaylin Simpson, 2 WR D.J. Montgomery
41 LB Grant Stuard
51 DE Kwity Paye
5 QB Anthony Richardson
27 RB Trey Sermon
23 CB Kenny Moore II
74 DT Jonah Laulu
27 RB Trey Sermon, 8 QB/WR Jason Bean
45 LB E.J. Speed, 58 LB Austin Ajiake, 44 LB Zaire Franklin
34 RB Zavier Scott
5 QB Anthony Richardson
80 TE Jelani Woods
28 RB Jonathan Taylor, 5 QB Anthony Richardson
28 RB Jonathan Taylor
25 S Rodney Thomas II
31 RB Tyler Goodson
36 RB Trent Pennix
40 CB Jaylon Jones
32 S Julian Blackmon
28 RB Jonathan Taylor
5 QB Anthony Richardson
26 RB Evan Hull
34 RB Zavier Scott, DeAndre Smith Running Backs
34 RB Zavier Scott
86 TE Will Mallory, 84 TE Jordan Murray
5 QB Anthony Richardson
51 DE Kwity Paye
41 LB Grant Stuard
93 DT Eric Johnson II
74 DT Jonah Laulu, 54 DE Dayo Odeyingbo, 51 DE Kwity Paye
