Major Indianapolis Colts Free-Agent Move Receives High Marks

The Indianapolis Colts entered the offseason with some significant goals, but none more pressing than retaining quarterback Daniel Jones and wide receiver Alec Pierce before they hit the open market in free agency.

Almost as soon as the bell sounded for teams around the league to begin negotiating with outside players, it was announced that the Colts and Pierce agreed to a mega deal: four years, $116 million; the richest deal a free agent wide receiver has ever earned.

Pierce is an ascending young player at 25 years old who is coming off his first 1,000-yard season and just led the NFL in yards per reception for the second consecutive year.

Consider ESPN's Ben Solak among those bullish on the move.

"I loved retaining Pierce and tagging Jones," Solak wrote. "The Colts rightfully prioritized the young rising star wide receiver and let the injured mercenary quarterback 'test the market' on the transition tag. Although Pierce's $28.5 million per year has some sticker shock at first, it will quickly be outstripped by an ever-rising wide receiver market."

Solak's colleague, Seth Walder, gave the move a grade of B-, saying, "Pierce turned into a legitimately good player last season. He still streaks downfield more than almost anyone -- his rate of deep fade and go routes ranked in the 97th percentile, his air yards per target ranked in the 100th percentile, and his depth three seconds into a route also ranked in the 100th percentile.

"But he's a far cry from someone who just takes the top off a defense to help his teammates -- he produced in a huge way, too."

Pierce caught 47-of-84 targets in 2025 for 1,003 yards (21.3 avg.) and six touchdowns. He became the first player since DeSean Jackson in 2010 to have at least 1,000 yards receiving with fewer than 50 receptions.

That high output of yardage with a low volume of targets is a thing of the past, however. With the type of payday that Pierce received, expectations will be higher than ever.

To make more room in the offense for Pierce to get more targets (and to better afford the contract), the Colts traded fellow receiver Michael Pittman Jr. to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

"I learned so much from Pitt," Pierce said after signing his new deal. "It was truly great to be teammates with him. He's a great guy. He took me under his wing, really being – like when I was a rookie, he was just in his third year, but he was always kind of like that vet presence, even at such a young age.

"So he's just such a mature player, I'd say, in that sense, and it was great to learn how to be a leader, how to be a captain, how to lead the room, how to basically just kind of show everybody the way of the NFL and what you’ve got to do to be successful. So I'm incredibly appreciative of having him as a teammate. And not only a teammate, he’s such a great friend."

Pierce now becomes the Colts' top wide receiver, following in the large footsteps before him of Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, TY Hilton, and then Pittman. Despite the task at hand, Pierce is confident he can rise to the occasion.

"Being the No. 1? That’s something that I know I can do, I believe in it," Pierce said. "And the opportunity is now, and it’s there for me to take it. That’s going to be something that I knew was going to come with getting this type of contract, and that was probably the biggest thing I was excited about.

"The money and all that is great, but I know with that comes the opportunities and the chances to get more balls thrown to you and just affect the game even more."