The Indianapolis Colts are in an unenviable position with the offseason underway. At the beginning of the 2025 season, quarterback Daniel Jones and receiver Alec Pierce helped a Colts offense that took the league by storm and felt capable of fueling a long playoff run. But the former suffered a season-ending Achilles injury late in the year, and things fell apart from there.
The Colts had to decide which of the two players to tag before Tuesday’s deadline. They gave Jones the transition tag, one that allows the Colts to match any offer he receives. However, that means they can’t use either the franchise or transition tag on Pierce. He will become a free agent unless he and the Colts agree on a contract extension before the start of the new league year.
And it seems like Pierce wants to test the market before signing his next contract.
“I love Indy,” Pierce said Wednesday on Up and Adams. “But yeah, now at this point, I’ve kind of earned the right to explore free agency, see what’s out there. And just, you know, make a decision that’s best for my career, and for my family.”
Pierce has certainly earned the right to see how much he’s worth on the open market. And he should be worth a lot as arguably the best receiver in the free agent pool if he gets there.
Alec Pierce picked a good time to have a career year. In 2025 he reached 1,000 receiving yards for the first time on a career-high 47 receptions. He also scored six times. He’s an extremely explosive receiver, leading the league with 21.3 yards per reception last year. Pierce has finished first in that statistic in consecutive years, averaging a whopping 22.3 yards per reception in 2024.
Pierce is one of the best deep-ball threats in the league. He would be a huge addition for teams that need receiving help, like the Steelers. The Steelers would need to add more than just Pierce, but he would immediately help stretch the field and take some attention away from DK Metcalf.
However, there are other routes the Steelers can go too. The draft is extremely strong at the position. And it’s likely a difference maker at receiver falls to the 21st overall pick. With three third-round picks, the Steelers can take multiple wide receivers in the first two days of the draft if they see fit. Pierce will likely be expensive, so maybe the Steelers try to save some money and bolster the position through the draft.
However, the Steelers aren’t short on salary cap space. And it’s hard to argue against proven talent. That’s exactly what Alec Pierce is. Having him and Metcalf on the field would take a lot of pressure off whichever rookie is drafted at the position as well. If he reaches free agency, like Pierce seemingly wants to do, he’s someone the Steelers have to take a look at.
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