Colts Predicted to Have Nightmare Scenario with Alec Pierce

One of the Indianapolis Colts' top tasks is to re-sign Alec Pierce, but other teams will be lurking to prevent this.

Nov 23, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce (14) makes a catch against the Kansas City Chiefs in the second half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Free agency is about a month away, and the Indianapolis Colts will have unenviable decisions to make on multiple in-house players.

The most important player for Chris Ballard to ink a new deal outside of quarterback Daniel Jones is wide receiver Alec Pierce.

It's nearly a foregone conclusion that Ballard will pony up the money to keep Pierce after a fantastic 2025 season, but it's not guaranteed.

As for Grag Auman at Fox Sports, the worst-case scenario goes down for Indy, as they lose Pierce to another AFC contender: the Buffalo Bills.

"Pierce, 25, is arguably the NFL's best deep-threat receiver, leading the league in yards per catch in each of the last two seasons. He topped 1,000 receiving yards in 2025, and four touchdowns in the last three games helped his market a bit.

The Colts have a handful of top free agents and won't be able to keep them all. Pierce is likely to command $20 million a year as an underrated player who could be utilized more —Ja'Marr Chase had 101 more targets in 2025 than Pierce did, but only 409 more yards than the Colts wide receiver."

Nov 30, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce (14) makes a catch against Houston Texans safety Calen Bullock (2) during the first half at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Pierce didn't really make a huge mark during his first two NFL seasons (2022-2023), hauling in 73 catches for 1,107 receiving yards, a 15.2 yards per catch average, and four touchdowns.

The Colts felt that Pierce needed competition to step his game up to the next level, which is why they drafted Adonai Mitchell in the second round of the 2024 NFL draft.

Pierce didn't just respond to this competition in a big way; he skyrocketed past Mitchell and became one of the NFL's deadliest deep threats. Now, Mitchell is with the New York Jets, and Pierce somehow found a way to be even better this past season.

Pierce would put up a wild stat line of 47 catches for 1,003 receiving yards, six touchdowns, and a league-pacing 21.3 yards per catch. This would mark the second-straight year leading the NFL in that metric (22.3 in 2024).

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Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce (14) signals a first down after a catch Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025, against the Arizona Cardinals at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. | Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Colts need Pierce, so if Auman's scenario plays out and the wide receiver-needy Bills take the playmaking machine from Indianapolis, it would leave a massive hole in their set of pass-catching weapons.

The Bills need more firepower in their wideout room, as currently Khalil Shakir headlines the group. There has been criticism that Buffalo needs to get superstar quarterback Josh Allen more offensive weaponry.

Signing Pierce would open up the entire Buffalo offense and make new head coach Joe Brady's transition a bit easier.

The last thing the Colts need is to lose Pierce, and luckily, the franchise fully understands the importance of keeping Pierce in a Colts uniform.

Given how fantastic the offense looked in the first 10 games of the season, the Colts would be well-suited to try to run it back in 2026 with as many players on Shane Steichen's side of the ball as possible.

Pierce will command some coin after his incredible 2025 season. It wouldn't be surprising to see Pierce earn something around $20 million annually, but the Colts must make it happen to give themselves the best chance at success in 2026.

While Auman believes the Bills could pilfer Pierce from Indianapolis, I expect Ballard to do everything possible to make sure Pierce doesn't leave the building.

Philip Rivers to Alec Pierce again!

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