ESPN’s Bill Barnwell proposes offseason trade involving former Colts leading wideout

According to ESPN’s Bill Barnwell, one of the 2026 NFL offseason trades he’d like to see involves the Indianapolis Colts swapping out wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. and a 2026 7th round pick for Carolina Panthers wideout Xavier Legette and a 2026 5th round pick:

Colts save on the cap, Panthers jump-start their offense

Panthers get: WR Michael Pittman Jr., 2026 seventh-round pick
Colts get: WR Xavier Legette, 2026 fifth-round pick

There’s no comparing Pittman and Legette as players; Pittman has been far more productive and reliable during his career than Legette, who has struggled with drops and inconsistent play. But Pittman is making $22 million in the final year of the three-year extension he signed with the Colts. After racking up 1,152 receiving yards in his final year before that contract extension, Pittman has managed 808 yards in 2024 and 784 this past year. He dropped from 24th in yards per route run among wide receivers in 2023 to 43rd in 2024 and 44th in 2025.

You might be willing to blame some of those yardage totals on subpar quarterback play, but as Pittman’s numbers have fallen, Alec Pierce’s totals have risen. Pierce, a downfield threat, is about to hit free agency, and with the Colts needing to sign Daniel Jones and Kwity Paye to new deals this offseason, I’m not sure Chris Ballard can afford to pay Pittman and Pierce north of $21 million per year. If the Colts want to keep Pierce, moving on from Pittman will probably be part of that equation.

All of Pittman’s 2026 salary is nonguaranteed, so Indy could cut him if needed. He would have some modest trade value as a WR2 for teams that aren’t spending a ton on their passing game, though. The Panthers fit the bill there, as Bryce Young, Jalen Coker and Tetairoa McMillan are all on their rookie contracts. The 6-foot-4 Pittman would be another big target in a Panthers wide receiver room full of them, and Pittman’s work underneath would allow McMillan more freedom to work from the slot and at the intermediate and deep levels of the field.

In return, the Colts would land a Day 3 pick and Legette, who is due just $4.4 million combined over the next two seasons. If Indianapolis needs to spend money elsewhere, Legette would make sense slotting in as a third or fourth wide receiver behind Pierce, Josh Downs and potentially Ashton Dulin. Ballard has loved drafting high-end athletes at receiver during his time in Indianapolis, and Legette certainly qualifies. Having just turned 25, Legette still might have some room for growth. And if he fails to get there, it at least wouldn’t cost the Colts much.

Even though Barnwell may have lost me with Kwity Paye being a priority re-signing at starting defensive end along with quarterback Daniel Jones and new lead wideout Alec Pierce, it’s clear that retaining Pittman Jr. at his projected 2026 salary cap hit of $29 million, given last year’s production is unsustainable.

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As a former 2020 2nd round pick of the Colts, Pittman Jr. is still a consistently productive wideout for Indianapolis, recording 80 receptions for 784 total receiving yards and 7 touchdown receptions during 17 games (16 starts) during 2025.

Not to mention, he remains a tenacious run blocker along the perimeter and a veteran leader in their locker room—as a former team captain.

However, he’s being paid like he’s a top 15 NFL wideout, and he simply hasn’t been that production wise as of late. In fact, it’s Pierce, Pittman Jr.‘s teammate, who’s now the leading wideout on the Colts and should be a priority re-signing for Indianapolis—even if it potentially comes at the expense of Pittman Jr. going forward.

As for Legette, the former 2024 first round pick of the Panthers had 35 receptions for 363 total receiving yards and 3 touchdown receptions during 15 games (12 starts) this past season. At 6,1”, 221 pounds, and having previously run a 4.39 forty time, Legette brings an enticing size-speed combo, and the Colts would have to be banking on the fact that a change of scenery could still bring out the 25-year-old wideout’s best ball yet.