Alec Pierce

Alec Pierce looms as one of the top free agent options at the receiver position this spring. Remaining with the Colts appears to still be on the table, although an exploration of the market also seems to be approaching.

“I’ve got great relationships here with this organization and the people in this building, this city,” Pierce said on Monday (via Nathan Brown of the Indy Star). “They’ve done so much for me so far, and I definitely would love to continue to be part of this organization, and we’ll see where things go.

“But I don’t know. I don’t know how this will all work out… I think I’ve got to see it all laid out in front of me. There’s so many different variables that go into that decision. I think it’s really hard to say what the priorities are, because you’re looking at 50 different variables at each place.”

While playing out his rookie contract, Pierce has emerged as one of the league’s premier deep threats. In each of the past two seasons, the former second-rounder has topped the NFL in yards per reception average. Pierce enjoyed a career year in 2025, setting a new personal best in catches (47) and yards (1,003).

Even after quarterback Daniel Jones suffered his Achilles tear, Pierce managed to have strong games at times down the stretch (including a two-touchdown performance yesterday). The Cincinnati product could be highly sought after during his first trip to free agency, especially if George Pickens winds up receiving the franchise tag from the Cowboys to prevent a departure. Whether it comes from the Colts or a new team, a major raise is forthcoming in Pierce’s case.

With Indianapolis having elected to retain head coach Shane Steichen and general manager Chris Ballard, attention will turn to the matter of re-signing Jones. The 2024 free agent signing enjoyed a stellar campaign prior to being injured, and he wants to stay in place. Keeping Jones in the fold will require more than the $14MM he signed for last spring, although the injury could complicate his value.

Pierce, 25, said continuing to play with Jones represents an attractive selling point in the case of re-signing with the Colts. Based on his comments, however, it would come as little surprise if he were to at least test the waters in March.

Entering the 2025 season, Alec Pierce appeared to be in line for a departure once his rookie contract expired. A new Colts deal is now something to watch for, though.

Indianapolis’ 9-2 start to the season has included a stronger-than-expected showing on offense. Pierce has played a major role in that regard, with the vertical threat showcasing a more varied receiver skillset along the way. As a pending free agent, his play down the stretch will be worth watching closely.

The Colts included Adonai Mitchell in the Sauce Gardner trade. As a result, retaining Pierce for 2026 and beyond would now be more feasible. The 25-year-old is currently on track to be one of the most in-demand wideouts on the open market given his performances to date this season. No thought is currently being given – at least publicly – to Pierce’s financial situation, however.

“All that’s on my mind is winning games, winning the division, get in the playoffs, make it to the Super Bowl,” the former second-rounder said when asked about a potential extension (via Joel A. Erickson of the Indy Star).

As Erickson notes, the Colts have a history of working out big-money deals during a season. He writes it is therefore “not out of the question” a new Pierce accord could be agreed to before the end of the campaign. Doing so would prevent the Cincinnati product from testing free agency during his first opportunity to do so.

Erickson echoes a previous report that $20MM per year could represent the floor for a Pierce extension. The team’s skill-position group is led by fellow receiver Michael Pittman Jr., whose 2024 extension averages $23.33MM annually. Tight end Tyler Warren has impressed during his rookie season, but no long-term deal in his case will be possible until after the 2027 campaign. Running back Jonathan Taylor is under contract for next year, although without any of his base salary guaranteed he could be on the list of targets for an extension in the near future.

Of course, Indianapolis’ financial planning will revolve in large part on quarterback Daniel Jones. A major raise is in store in that case, and the Colts are expected to make a long-term commitment. Regardless of what happens on that front, Pierce – who is once again leading the league in yards per catch (20.9) – remains on track for a lucrative second contract. It will be interesting to see if team and player pursue an agreement soon or elect to wait until the spring.

Colts big-play wide receiver Alec Pierce is scheduled to reach free agency for the first time during the offseason. Pierce said back in July that he didn’t anticipate signing a contract extension with the Colts. A new deal hasn’t come together four months later, but it appears his chances of remaining in Indianapolis beyond this season have improved.

The Colts decided before the season that it wouldn’t be “financially prudent” to re-sign Pierce, according to Stephen Holder of ESPN. Things have changed during the team’s unexpected 8-2 start, however. Pierce has been more productive than ever, in part because he has succeeded in running a greater variety of routes. As a result, “the idea of him returning is now very real,” Holder writes.

The Colts held out hope that the presence of 2024 second-round pick Adonai Mitchell would help make up for a departed Pierce. That’s not going to happen, though, as the Colts sent Mitchell to the Jets in a blockbuster before the Nov. 4 deadline.

Packaging the disappointing Mitchell with a pair of first-round picks netted the Colts star cornerback Sauce Gardner. It so happens that Gardner is close friends with Pierce, a former Cincinnati Bearcats teammate.

Pierce entered the NFL with Gardner as a 2022 draft pick. The Colts used a second-rounder on Pierce, taking him 53rd overall. The 6-foot-3, 215-pounder missed just two games in his first three years and averaged approximately 37 catches, 644 yards, and four touchdowns in those seasons. He easily set career highs in yards (824) and scores (seven) while working with quarterbacks Anthony Richardson and Joe Flacco in 2024. Pierce led the league with a whopping 22.3 yards per catch.

A year later, Pierce has established a rapport with new signal-caller Daniel Jones, who beat out Richardson for the job in the summer. Thanks in part to Pierce’s help, Jones has enjoyed a stunning resurgence. While Pierce has only caught one of Jones’ 15 TD passes, he’s once again atop the league in YPC (20.9). With 28 receptions and 585 yards through eight games, Pierce is on track for career highs in those categories. He has joined rookie tight end Tyler Warren, fellow wideouts Michael Pittman Jr. and Josh Downs, and MVP-contending running back Jonathan Taylor in giving Jones a highly productive group of pass catchers.

With Pierce heading for his first 1,000-yard season, the 25-year-old is trending toward a lucrative second contract. A deal worth upward of $20MM per year is a possibility, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports. The Colts currently have around $48MM in spending room for 2026, per Over the Cap, but that’s without taking a new Jones pact into account.

Jones, a former Giants starter and Viking backup, is playing this season on a $14MM agreement. That’s a relative pittance compared to what Jones is likely to earn on his next accord. The Colts plan to make Jones a long-term offer, which figures to eat up a sizable chunk of cap space. A best-case scenario would include Pierce continuing to catch passes from Jones in a Colts uniform in 2026, but it remains to be seen whether they’ll make the finances work.

Earlier this offseason, it was reported Alec Pierce and the Colts had yet to engage in extension talks. The fourth-year wideout’s camp has in fact spoken to the team about a second contract, but it is still unlikely one will be worked out any time soon.

Pierce is one of several Day 2 swings Indianapolis has taken at the receiver position under general manager Chris Ballard. The former second-rounder handled a regular offensive role during his rookie season before becoming a full-time starter in 2023. During that period, Pierce saw his yards per catch rate increase but managed only four touchdowns.

This past campaign resulted in a step forward in production despite the Colts’ quarterback issues. Pierce set a new personal best with 824 yards and caught a career-high seven touchdowns. His 22.3 yards per reception average led the NFL. At the age of 25, a raise should be in store on his next deal. It remains to be seen if it will come from Indianapolis, though.

“I haven’t even thought about it too much in terms of myself,” Pierce said when speaking about a potential Colts extension (via Joel A. Erickson of the Indy Star). “My agents might have talked with them a while back, but I feel like on that front, it’s going to be play the season out, kind of see where things go.”

While the door is certainly not closed to an arrangement keeping the Cincinnati product in place beyond 2025, Pierce’s comments strongly indicate he will at least test his market next spring. The Colts have not been shy about retaining in-house players during Ballard’s tenure as GM, although a philosophical shift was implemented this offseason. That could contribute to a 2026 free agent departure in this case.

The Colts have Michael Pittman Jr. on the books for another two years (with his $18MM base salary guaranteed in full for 2025.). He will be counted on to remain the team’s No. 1 wideout irrespective of who earns the starting quarterback gig. Ashton Dulin was re-signed on a two-year pact this offseason, and he will provide Indianapolis with a cost-effective depth option. Pierce is joined by Josh Downs (third round, 2023) and Adonai Mitchell (second round, 2024) as a Colts wideout attached to a rookie contract.

The team would therefore still have low-cost receivers to supplement Pittman in the event Pierce were to leave on the open market. It will be interesting to see if things change and efforts are made to work out a deal as the 2025 season progresses.

Alec Pierce had a breakout campaign in 2024, as the receiver paced the NFL with 22.3 yards per reception. As a 2022 second-round pick, the wideout is set to enter the final season of his rookie pact, and it sounds like the Colts are going to let the player simply play out that contract.

According to ESPN’s Stephen Holder, there are no current contract talks between the Colts and Pierce. The reporter writes that “there remains much uncertainty” about the player’s future in Indy, and there’s a “looming possibility” of Pierce playing elsewhere in 2026.

As Holder points out, both sides may be struggling to assign a price tag to Pierce. The receiver has only topped out at 823 receiving yards, and his 41 receptions as a rookie still represents a career-high. While there’s uncertainty if the 25-year-old can truly lead a depth chart, there’s no denying his big-play ability. According to Holder, Pierce’s seven catches of 40 or more yards is second to Ja’Marr Chase since 2022.

Part of Indy’s apprehension about a Pierce extension may be due to their continued investment at the position. The Colts have used some recent draft capital at the position, even after using their 2022 second-round pick on Pierce. The team used a 2023 third-round pick on Josh Downs, and they used a 2024 second-round selection on Adonai Mitchell. The team handed Michael Pittman Jr. a three-year, $71.5MM extension last offseason, so the team already has their WR1 spot accounted for.

For what it’s worth, Pierce isn’t overly concerned about his lame-duck status. In fact, the receiver told Holder that he’s ignoring his expiring contract altogether, and he’s simply focused on taking his game to another level in 2025.

“I like to take a very day-to-day approach with things,” Pierce said. “I don’t really think too far in advance. … That’s why I’ve got agents. They focus on that type of stuff and what’s coming up in the short term.”