Colts’ QB Matt Ryan Reveals True Opinion on Alec Pierce
In this story:
First impressions hold a lot of weight.
Whether a rookie in the NFL or starting a new office job, you want to leave a good first impression. Your new boss and coworkers are all trying to figure you out. They want to know if you will be a hard worker and someone they can count on or someone that will make their lives harder.
Rookies around the NFL are leaving their first impressions at this very moment as training camps are well underway. The Indianapolis Colts have eight rookies that were drafted in this past spring’s draft, plus numerous other undrafted rookies trying to make the roster.
One of those rookies is wide receiver Alec Pierce. Pierce was selected in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft out of the University of Cincinnati. He had a stellar college career, culminating with a senior season in which Pierce had 52 catches for 884 yards and eight touchdowns.
The Colts brought in Pierce to be a contributor right away on the offensive side of the ball. General manager Chris Ballard and head coach Frank Reich felt Pierce would be a nice compliment to Michael Pittman Jr., the established WR1 on this Colts team. They believe Pierce can take some pressure off Pittman and give this offense another threat on the outside.
But to realize his potential, he must connect with his new quarterback. Matt Ryan has seen it all in his 14-year NFL career and has played with some of the best wide receivers the league has seen. The Ryan to Julio Jones connection torched defenses for years when they were members of the Atlanta Falcons.
© Robert Scheer/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK
So, what does the former NFL MVP think of the rookie wide receiver so far?
“He’s a really hard worker,” Ryan said about Pierce after Thursday’s practice. “And when you combine that with talent – the good players I’ve been around, they have all been that way.”
Pierce’s hard work has been evident on the field. From the start of OTAs back in the spring, Pierce has been running with the starting offense. It has never looked too big for Pierce, and the rookie has made plays throughout practice.
The rookie was one of the stars of Wednesday’s first joint practice with the Detroit Lions. Pierce made the Lions’ defensive backs look silly in 1-on-1 drills, catching everything thrown his way. He even had the highlight of practice, catching a ball off the back of a defender’s head during the red zone period for a touchdown.
“It was good to see Alec make a couple of those plays – a couple of those back-shoulder plays,” Reich said on Wednesday. “I thought Matt put a couple of those right on the money. Alec made the plays. Those are the kind of things we saw from Alec in college.”
However, it’s the things that we do not see that have really impressed Ryan with Pierce. Pierce has shown great attention to detail to get the playbook down. Reich’s playbook is known for being notoriously large, and Pierce has put in the extra work with wide receivers coach Reggie Wayne to get a firm grasp of it.
Pierce has also been putting in the extra time working with Ryan to get better. He is not afraid to ask his veteran quarterback a question, whether it be how Ryan likes a certain route run or what he can do to make it easier for Ryan to get him the ball. Pierce has already shown a desire to improve, something that has not gone unnoticed.
“More so than anything he does on the field, it’s the combination of the work ethic, the competitiveness, all of the intangible stuff combined with the talent,” Ryan explained. “If you’re going to be a great player in this league, which I think he can be, you’ve got to have it all.”
As the Colts embark on their second preseason game this Saturday against the Lions, most of the starters are not expected to play, Ryan included. But of the few starters who could be out there, Pierce may be one of them. Not because he is in danger of losing a roster spot, but because the Colts want to make sure Pierce is as ready as he can be once the regular season rolls around.
The Colts are fired up about Pierce’s potential and what he can bring to the offense this fall. His ability on the field, combined with his competitiveness and desire to get better, has impressed coaches and teammates alike. The next step will be putting it to use on the field when the games begin to count.
“You’ve got to have the work ethic, you’ve got to have the confidence and then you've got to have the skillset to do it too,” Ryan said. “The combination of those things is what fires me up about him.”
To have a former NFL MVP and 14-year veteran quarterback say that about you in your first training camp, I’d say that’s a pretty good first impression.
What is your first impression of Colts rookie wide receiver Alec Pierce? Let us know in the comments below!
Follow Andrew on Twitter @AndrewMooreNFL.
