Alec Pierce is heading into 2026 with a lot more than a big contract on his shoulders. The Indianapolis Colts handed him a four-year, $114 million deal, and now the conversation shifts from projection to proof.
He’s no longer just a promising piece. He’s the guy the Colts are asking to carry the passing game.
That’s a big leap, and it comes with the kind of scrutiny that follows money like that. Daniel Jones’s two-year extension worth $88 million drew its own questions, but Pierce’s deal raised even more eyebrows.
He’s not being paid like a fringe contributor. He’s being paid like a centerpiece.
And after the Colts moved on from long-time veteran Michael Pittman Jr., there’s no mistaking the role they want Pierce to fill.
The good news for Indianapolis is that Pierce already has a strong statistical base to build on. Last season, he cleared 1,000 yards by three yards, finished with a career-high 47 catches, and scored six touchdowns.
He did that as the Colts’ No. 2 pass catcher. Now he steps into the No. 1 role, and the expectation is that those numbers should climb.
Pro Football Focus’s latest receiver rankings make the next step look very possible. Pierce checked in at No. 21, and PFF’s view of him was clear: "Pierce has quietly become one of the NFL's top deep threats, parlaying that ability into a contract worth more than $28 million per year.
Among wide receivers with at least 25 targets, Pierce is the only player averaging more than 20.0 yards per reception since the start of the 2023 season. WithMichael Pittman Jr. now in Pittsburgh, Pierce enters 2026 as Indianapolis' unquestioned No. 1 receiver."
That ranking leaves plenty of room for movement. The top 10 is loaded with names like Puka Nacua, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Justin Jefferson, Ja'Marr Chase, Amon-Ra St.
Brown, A.J. Brown, CeeDee Lamb, Nico Collins, George Pickens, and Drake London, and Pierce is not in that neighborhood yet.
But the 10-to-20 range is a different story.
That group includes Zay Flowers, Chris Olave, Terry McLaurin, DeVonta Smith, Jaylen Waddle, Mike Evans, Stefon Diggs, Garrett Wilson, Tee Higgins, and Malik Nabers - a cluster of receivers Pierce can realistically chase if his season goes the right way. Some of those names come with their own questions, whether it’s role, age, or inconsistency, and that opens the door for Pierce to climb.
If he delivers the kind of season Indianapolis is betting on, a jump into the 15-to-20 range next year would not be a surprise. The ceiling is there, especially if his chemistry with Jones turns into the kind of quarterback-receiver connection that changes how defenses have to play the Colts.
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CJ Allen is part of that larger picture as the projected starting MIKE linebacker, while A.J. Haulcy, Hunter Wohler and Bryce Boettcher all fit into a defense that is still sorting out where its next wave of contributors will land. On offense, Tyler Warren is expected to take on a larger role as the Colts try to replace what they lost from Michael Pittman Jr., and Anthony Richardson Sr. remains in a complicated spot as he competes with Riley Leonard for the QB2 job behind Daniel Jones, adding another layer to a roster debate that is far from settled. [Read more 🡒]