Colts Could Lose Alec Pierce to Emerging AFC Threat

The "legal tampering" window in the NFL opens next Monday, March 9, as teams across the league prepare to make moves in the hunt for Super Bowl LXI. For the Indianapolis Colts, they'll be trying their best to retain wide receiver Alec Pierce as he prepares to test the open market.

The Colts had the option to use their franchise tag on Pierce, but they opted to place the lesser-used transition tag on Daniel Jones instead. That decision could come back to haunt the Colts as Pierce revealed earlier this week that he wishes to review outside offers before making any decisions regarding his future.

In a new piece from ESPN reporter Dan Graziano, he predicts the contracts and landing spots for the top 20 free agents of 2026. Pierce was, of course, included in that list, with Graziano predicting a three-year deal worth $80 million for the 25-year-old.

"The franchise tag for Pierce would have been $27.3 million if the Colts had decided to use it on him rather than placing the transition tag on QB Daniel Jones," Graziano wrote. "Indy would still like to have Pierce back, but after leading the league in yards per reception each of the past two years, he'll have a market that could drive the price up beyond that mark. This puts him right behind the franchise number but with more guarantees than just one year."

Graziano predicts Pierce to land a contract similar to Jameson Williams' from 2024. The two players have extremely similar numbers and are both used as downfield threats who can stretch defenses, making offensive game planning much easier.

Chargers Predicted to Sign Alec Pierce

Team-wise, Graziano predicts the Los Angeles Chargers will be Pierce's eventual landing spot. The Chargers have $99 million in cap space, which is the most in the league.

With Quentin Johnston entering the final year of his contract and Keenan Allen set to hit the open market, Pierce makes sense as another big-body receiver to add to the equation for newly hired offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel.

Also, the Chargers fit what Pierce is looking for in his new team. They've made the playoffs in three of the last four years, and they have a guaranteed franchise quarterback in Justin Herbert. Pierce made it clear on the Up & Adams show this week that he's tired of quarterback carousels. Since being drafted in 2022, Pierce has caught passes from nine different quarterbacks.

Alec Pierce on what matters most in his free agency decision:

“Stability in a franchise. You know? Winning culture… Being in Indy I’ve played with a ton of different quarterbacks”

{Via @UpAndAdamsShow} pic.twitter.com/g8fMiLztkx
— SleeperColts (@SleeperColts) March 4, 2026

Despite a constant rotation of faces under center, Pierce has steadily improved his game every season. In 2025, he eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards for the first time in his career, doing so on just 47 receptions. He became the first player since DeSean Jackson to reach 1,000 yards on under 50 receptions.

Pierce has cemented himself as one of the best, if not the best, deep threats in the league. At 6-foot-3 with a vertical leap of over 40 inches, Pierce can high-point a ball like none other.

We'll see if the Colts are willing to let Pierce walk to an in-conference rival next week.

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