Some things made Alec Pierce happy with the Indianapolis Colts last season, and perhaps his big payday will come if he remains with them. However, Pierce is a game-changing piece in the 2026 NFL free-agent market.
First, there is a caveat to Pierce standing out. And that is what happens with Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens. It is widely believed that the Cowboys will franchise tag Pickens and take him off the market.
If that happens, Pierce moves into a place of prominence. He can overshadow the rest of the wide receivers available as free agents.
Colts WR Alec Pierce could emerge in 2026
Things came together nicely for Pierce in 2025. A fourth-year veteran, Pierce led the NFL in yards per reception for the second straight season (22.3 in 2024 and 21.3 this year). But this time he topped 1,000 yards with 47 grabs. And he still scored six touchdowns, nearly matching his 2024 total of seven.
Those statistics will make Pierce a hot property in the free agent market, according to ESPN.
“Over the past two years, though, Pierce has upped that yards per route run figure to 1.9 in 2024 and 2.2 in 2025,” Bill Barnwell wrote. “The combined 2.1 figure is good for 20th among wide receivers over that span, just ahead of players such as Jameson Williams and Tyreek Hill. And it would be tough to argue that Pierce was playing with better quarterbacks than either player over that two-year span.
“Pierce still commands one of the lower target shares in the league, given his usage pattern as a downfield threat. But he has essentially been a slightly more efficient version of Williams, who signed a three-year, $80 million deal last season.”
Simply put, Pierce brings an electric value to NFL offenses. Any quarterback with a quality deep ball would love the opportunity to throw to Pierce. A case in point would be Jayden Daniels of the Commanders. But there are other examples. And Pierce could threaten a defense in a way that makes all other parts of the offense work better.
“Pierce is a walking explosive-play threat, which makes him a very valuable player,” Barnwell wrote. “I’m fascinated to see how high his market gets. I don’t think it’s wild at all to suggest that Pierce could be looking at something in the ballpark of $30 million per year in free agency, which brings the franchise tag into play.”
Colts should work hard to keep Pierce
One of the reasons the Colts performed so well on offense before the injury to quarterback Daniel Jones is what Pierce did to opposing defenses. Therefore, the Colts would be wise to retain Pierce, according to coltswire.com.
“From Day 1, from when we worked him out at the University of Cincinnati, we had a great belief in Alec Pierce,” Ballard said. “I think he’s been a good player every year. … I thought Reggie (Wayne) did a tremendous job helping him expand his game to all three levels. Alec’s a priority.”
However, landing spots are aplenty for Pierce, according to Sports Illustrated. The Colts, Titans, Steelers, and Jets are in the mix. But there’s a problem with all of those.
First, will Jones be ready to rock from the beginning of the season? There are no guarantees of that because of his Achilles injury. So Pierce might be working with a lesser quarterback at the start of the season.
As for the Titans, Ward didn’t prove very much at all in his rookie season. And Robert Saleh, the new head coach, isn’t exactly a quarterback whisperer. There’s a chance Pierce could die on the vine with the Titans.
What about the Steelers? It’s widely assumed Aaron Rodgers won’t return. If he does, it still doesn’t point toward a great season for Pierce. Rodgers’ average yards per pass attempt was an uninspiring 6.7 in 2025.
The Jets? Well, they could pay for Pierce. But who is the quarterback going to be? At this stage in his career, Pierce needs to hook up with a proven quarterback. And that means a proven deep-ball thrower.
WR Alec Pierce should look at the Patriots
This makes a ton of sense. Drake Maye has proven to be one of the better deep-ball throwers in the league. And the Patriots are an ascending team. They might even win the Super Bowl this year.
Pierce would be the perfect fit for this receiver room. And how dangerous would the Patriots become with a ground threat like running back TreVeyon Henderson complemented by a deep air concern like Pierce?
Opposing defenses would feel the threat of a splash play at almost any time in the game.
Another look would be the Commanders, as Daniels can flat out spin the deep ball. Also, Pierce should look at the Ravens. Lamar Jackson is underrated as a deep ball thrower.
Last but not least, Pierce would fit nicely with the Bills. Josh Allen is a top 10 deep ball thrower. And his long-range completion percentage would go up with a guy like Pierce at his disposal.
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