Colts' Greatest All-Time Foe Closing in on Alec Pierce

Alec Pierce is officially a free agent after the Indianapolis Colts failed to get a deal done by the franchise tag deadline on Tuesday, March 3rd.

While other teams can't negotiate with Pierce until the legal tampering period begins on March 9th, Pierce can still look at what his options might be before then.

Plenty of squads will take a look at Pierce and how he could fit into their offense, and per NFL insider Jordan Schultz, the 2025 AFC Champion New England Patriots have their eye on the sought-after free agent playmaker.

Per sources, the #Patriots have been in on the big names on the WR free-agent market next week and are believed to be prepared to spend big.

Alec Pierce is among the names they’ve been eyeing. The trade market is also an option. https://t.co/KntNFfix4T
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) March 4, 2026

With the Patriots releasing Stefon Diggs, it makes perfect sense that they're checking out Pierce as a possible transition.

New England has ample cap space, and per Over the Cap, they rank ninth in the NFL with $39,281,396 available. This means they can absolutely find the funds to sign Pierce, regardless of what he commands.

Now, back to Indianapolis.

The Colts franchise has completely dropped the ball on Pierce, and now might see him depart to another AFC team that just made the Super Bowl.

Fingers will be pointed at Chris Ballard, but Carlie Irsay-Gordon needs attention, as well. This failure is on the entire front office.

There are two outcomes at this point. First, Pierce will depart in free agency and the Colts won't be willing to pay what another team offers the wideout.

Second, the Colts do re-sign Pierce, but at a higher cost than they might offer since they allowed him to check out the rest of his high demand market.

Either way, this is a colossal mistake from Indianapolis, which fits the entire narrative of the Ballard era of Colts football.

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

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Pierce was on the Up & Adams Show with Kay Adams and discussed his free agency and what could be next after a massive 2025 season that saw him log career-highs in catches (47), receiving yards (1,003), and first downs (41). He also scored the second-most touchdowns of his career (six).

Pierce had a lot to say about his situation, but one thing stood out to me more than the rest: what he wants to do with his massive market.

"At this point now, I love Indy, I've loved playing there. 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, kind of earned the right to explore free agency, see what's out there.

Make a decision that's best for my career and for my family."

"I love Indy... but at this point, I've kind of earned the right to explore free agency. See what's out there."

Colts WR Alec Pierce on his impending free agency@alecpierce | @heykayadams pic.twitter.com/AaSZnqibeJ
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) March 4, 2026

Pierce is wise to see what's out there, as there very well could be another team willing to not only pay him more, but surround him with more stability than what the Colts have.

To put into perspective how chaotic the Colts have been while Pierce has been in uniform, below are the quarterbacks who have thrown Pierce a pass since he was drafted in 2022.

2022 - Matt Ryan, Sam Ehlinger, Nick Foles
2023 - Anthony Richardson Sr., Gardner Minshew
2024 - Anthony Richardson Sr., Joe Flacco
2025 - Daniel Jones, Philip Rivers, Riley Leonard

Nine.... nine quarterbacks through four seasons. On average, Pierce has had 2.25 quarterbacks every year he's been in the Circle City.

This type of instability at the most important position in football would drive any wide receiver insane, trying to gain rapport and consistency with their field general.

There's still a good likelihood that Indianapolis secures Pierce, but it will undoubtedly be more expensive than they were hoping.

This situation will be one of the most interesting to monitor in free agency, and if Pierce ends up with another team, it will further the narrative that Ballard isn't the right man to be the general manager for the Colts.