The Indianapolis Colts made their bet on Alec Pierce a big one: four years and as much as $116 million to keep him from hitting free agency. Pierce said he wanted to stay, and now the Colts are banking on that connection with quarterback Daniel Jones turning into something special.
But around the league, Pierce still isn’t getting treated like a star. ESPN’s recent poll of coaches, scouts and executives on the NFL’s best wide receivers left him out of the top 10.
He didn’t even land among the honorable mentions. He was simply one of the players who “received votes.”
That kind of response tracks with his résumé so far. Pierce has never had a 50-catch season, and he’s only crossed 1,000 receiving yards once.
That’s not the profile of a receiver who’s going to show up near the top of a league-wide ranking. Still, that doesn’t mean the Colts don’t have something real here.
Heading into 2026, Pierce may not have much league-wide shine, but that could change fast if his role grows the way it should. Indianapolis has likely underused him through four seasons.
Early on, he made his name by stretching the field and beating defensive backs deep. In his fourth year, he added a little more versatility, but the volume still wasn’t there.
Even in 2025, Pierce led the Colts with 1,003 receiving yards and topped the entire NFL in yards per catch for the second straight season. And yet he was only fourth on the team in targets with 84. Michael Pittman Jr., who has since been traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers, led the Colts with 112.
If Pittman had matched Pierce’s efficiency and simply gotten the same target volume, his 2025 line would have looked like this: 63 catches, 1,342 yards receiving, and eight touchdowns. That’s the kind of output the Colts are going to need from Pierce if they want that contract to look justified.
And that’s the real test here. If Pierce takes on a bigger share of the offense and delivers at that level or better, he should be back in the conversation when ESPN does this again ahead of 2027.
If not, the money will start looking heavy. For now, the Colts are asking for more touches and more production from a receiver whose explosiveness already forces defenses to pay attention.
In Other News...
Colts Just Set The Stage For A Nostalgic 2026 At Lucas Oil
The Colts are already giving fans a reason to circle Lucas Oil Stadium for 2026, unveiling a home slate built around familiar touchpoints, special causes and a few nods to the franchises past. The lineup includes the home opener against the Ravens, a Rivalry Uniform Game against the Texans, White Out, Salute to Service, Kicking The Stigma, My Cause My Cleats, Indiana Nights and the regular-season finale against the Jaguars.
For a team that has leaned into presentation as much as tradition, the schedule feels designed to keep the building tied to both its history and its identity. One of the biggest moments on that calendar will come with a Ring of Honor celebration for Adam Vinatieri at Lucas Oil Stadium, while other dates should give the Colts a chance to turn game days into something closer to an event, even before the football takes center stage. [Read more 🡒]
Another Colts Quarterback Twist Could Put This Backup In Play
The Colts quarterback room is still taking shape for 2026, and the expectation around the league is that Indianapolis will carry three passers. Daniel Jones and Riley Leonard appear positioned to be part of that mix, which would leave the final spot as the one most worth watching as the roster comes together.
Easton Stick is one name that fits the profile, especially with his prior link to Shane Steichen from their time together in Los Angeles. If the Colts do end up with the room they have in mind, Stick would be looking at a depth role behind Jones and Leonard, but the path to even getting that chance may depend on how the rest of the quarterback situation settles in the coming weeks. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Face A Roster Squeeze At Tight End Again
Training camp is about to put the Colts back in a familiar roster math problem at tight end. Tyler Warren, Mo Alie-Cox and Drew Ogletree look like the safest names in the room, while the rest of the group has to fight for whatever is left once the front office starts trimming toward the final 53.
Will Mallory appears to have the inside track on the fourth spot, but he is not treated as a lock, which keeps the competition open heading into camp. The bigger wrinkle is whether Indianapolis even carries four tight ends at all, since going lighter there would free up room for help elsewhere on the roster. [Read more 🡒]