The Indianapolis Colts really want to keep wide receiver Alec Pierce on the team. Indy's young wide receiver is one of the hottest names in this year's free agency cycle. He is in for a major payday, but it remains to be seen if that will happen in Indianapolis or elsewhere.
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler explained that multiple teams could try to pry him away from Indy.
“Expect negotiations between Alec Pierce and the Colts to go down to the wire as the team tries to keep him off Monday's open market,” Fowler wrote on Sunday. “That's going to be a challenge. Pierce appears poised to make at least $27 million per year on a new deal. The Patriots, Commanders, Raiders and Titans are among teams in the mix.”
Spotrac lists Pierce's market value at $20.2 million per season. But free agency does not feature many receivers of Pierce's caliber. That scarcity, paired with the fact that the Raiders and Titans have tons of cap space, could lead to a bidding war for Pierce.
Thankfully, the Colts do have one advantage that could help them retain their star wide receiver.
“What helps Indy's case is that Pierce is close with Colts quarterback Daniel Jones and, if everything is equal, would like to stay in Indianapolis,” Fowler added. “There's still hope for Indy, but Pierce's market will dictate his direction. His upside and penchant for chunk yardage are attractive to teams.”
If the Colts want to retain Pierce, they may need to offer him a large extension before the legal tampering period opens on Monday. Otherwise they could lose a bidding war for his services.
Pierce made it clear that he wants an expanded role on offense in 2026 regardless of where he lands.
“I'm no longer gonna be an 80-target player…,” Pierce said on March 4th on Up & Adams with Kay Adams. “If I get paid this big contract, they're gonna have to throw me the ball more.”
It will be fascinating to see where Pierce ends up signing this offseason. But one thing is clear: Pierce is about to make a lot of money.
