Alec Pierce, Indianapolis Colts
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Alec Pierce #14 of the Indianapolis Colts makes a catch in the third quarter of the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium on November 23, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)
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FL free agency officially opens up on Wednesday, March 11 but before it opens, teams were able to come to terms with players during the tampering period. And what a tampering period it was. Several big name stars left for new teams, arguably none more notable than future Hall of Fame wide receiver Mike Evans, signing a three-year deal with the San Francisco 49ers after 12 illustrious seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Evans was a top priority for the 49ers, who were in dire need of a true No. 1 receiver, but he was not the only receiver that the 49ers were looking at. Alec Pierce of the Indianapolis Colts was a player that the team was targeting, but once Pierce agreed to terms with the Colts on a new deal and came off the board, the 49ers shifted focus. But did the Niners actually dodge a bullet on signing the younger receiver in Pierce? According to one reporter, Pierce’s hefty price tag suggests that the 49ers avoided massively overpaying for a more unproven pass catcher.
Pierce Gets $116 Million from the Colts
Pierce signed a new four-year, $116 million contract with the Colts, containing an AAV of nearly $30 million. And while Pierce put together a strong 2025 campaign, Niner Noise/FanSided reporter, Nick San Miguel, suggested that Pierce still being unproven overall would have made a big contract very risky for the 49ers.
“Pierce is a solid young receiver who is coming off a career-best year, but to commit that much money to him would have been a bit risky for San Francisco,” San Miguel wrote. “His career-best season was only for 1,003 receiving yards and six touchdowns. He did have an impressive 21.3 yards per reception, which was the best mark in the NFL. But Pierce is getting paid like one of the top receivers in the league, which he has not proven to be yet.”
Instead, the 49ers gave Evans a $60 million deal and while that is relatively expensive for a receiver his age, Evans has consistently been a top receiver in the NFL– amassing over 13,000 career receiving yards with multiple Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections.
The 49ers Need at Receiver
The 49ers entered the offseason with a massive need for another wide receiver. Set to release Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings having an uncertain future, the 49ers were left to rely on Ricky Pearsall to be their No. 1 pass catcher. And while Pearsall has shown flashes of greatness, he has struggled to stay healthy which made it very risky to have him be the top receiver for the offense.
Pierce would have made the 49ers younger and faster, which is what they need to do. At only 25 years old, Pierce is just now entering the prime of his career and is the type of player you can build an offense around. But the 49ers want to win now, and with Evans being an established veteran who has been a focal point on a Super Bowl winning team, they opted to go with the experience and leadership.