A crucial offseason has arrived for the Indianapolis Colts. It might also determine the future of ascending receiver Alec Pierce.
The speedy receiver is approaching free agency for the first time in his career in March and understands the uncertainty that comes with being available. Despite his love for Indianapolis, Pierce also seems to be embracing the excitement of hitting the open market next week.
"At this point now, I love Indy. I’ve loved playing there," Pierce told Kay Adams during an appearance on Up & Adams this week. "Great organization, great people in the city. Just a ton of support. I know we haven’t been as good as we could be and I know we can be. But at this point, I’ve kind of earned the right to explore free agency, see what’s out there and just make a decision that’s best for my career and my family."
After three seasons of promising performances, Pierce hit his peak in his first campaign spent with Daniel Jones in 2025, catching 47 passes for 1,003 yards and six touchdowns. The Cincinnati product clearly benefitted from playing alongside Jones, who was also pacing for a career year before an Achilles injury ended his season prematurely. While the Colts' collapse ultimately defined their season, Pierce finished strong, turning in a four-catch, 132-yard, two-touchdown outing against AFC wild-card qualifier and division rival Houston to close the year.
Those numbers justify what Pierce said: He deserves the right to test free agency. Some thought the Colts might have valued him enough to prevent him from leaving entirely via the franchise tag, but when Indianapolis instead chose to retain Jones on the transition tag -- despite the uncertain timeline that comes with an Achilles injury -- the next step in the process became clear for Pierce.
"I think that was kind of what we were expecting, from me and my agents. Obviously, the quarterback is the No. 1 thing," Pierce said of Indianapolis tagging Jones. "We knew, talking with the Colts, with the Colts going back and forth, basically, like, until they had a quarterback in play, like, we've gotta treat 'em like they don't have a quarterback. It's tough as a receiver to really commit to a team not knowing where the quarterback's at. So I think, like, my team and the Colts knew that, like, we weren't going to get much done with a deal until they got a quarterback done. So, priority No. 1 for them was Daniel. I guess that's what they decided was the best option to getting his deal done was placing the tag on him."
Now, it's up to him to tightrope the line between seeking a pay day and ensuring he preserves the connection built with the team that spent a second-round pick on him in 2022.
As he alluded in the above comment, Pierce has reason to consider all factors when choosing where he'll play football in 2026 and beyond. Every receiver knows their next opportunity is only as good as the quarterback occupying the starting role. Given the Colts' uncertainty at the position over the last three years -- and refreshing transformation enjoyed with Jones' emergent showing in 2025 -- Pierce understands quite well how his signal-calling teammate can affect his earning power.
It is priority No. 1 for him as he hits the open market next week.
"Definitely, like, quarterback play, like, and stability in a franchise, like, winning culture. Things like that, I'd say, are the most important," Pierce said. "Just being in Indy, playing with a ton of quarterbacks, I think they're on the way to figuring that out with Daniel if they can get a long-term deal with him because I believe in him a ton as a quarterback. But I think I've understood the battles that come with not having that stability. So, like, I think as a free agent, that would be something I would look into a lot."
Quality options exist elsewhere with readymade contenders. For example, the Buffalo Bills, a team led by superstar and 2024 NFL MVP Josh Allen, aggressively attempted to address their receiver conundrum on Thursday by agreeing to trade for Bears receiver DJ Moore.
Pierce could solve another need elsewhere via free agency and fetch a respectable annual salary, too. That is, if he believes it's a better situation than the one he's known in Indianapolis.
Because of the timeline associated with returning from an Achilles injury, the Colts are far from a guaranteed contender in 2025. They showed tons of promise with a healthy Jones under center, proving to be one of the NFL's most explosive, productive and dynamic offenses during their white-hot start to the season. But Jones isn't a lock to return at the same level in 2026, and that's before even projecting when exactly he might take the field.
With this in mind, Pierce owes it to himself to test free agency. We'll see if it leads him back to the only home he's known in his NFL career.