Focus is on Pierce to Prove Colts Made Right Decision to Trade Pittman

The Indianapolis Colts re-signed dynamic wide receiver Alec Pierce to a blockbuster four-year, $114 million deal after putting together a phenomenal 2025 campaign.

Pierce caught 47 passes for 1,003 receiving yards, six touchdowns, and a league-leading 21.3 yards per catch.

His reception and receiving yards were career-bests, and his average yards per catch was his second-straight year leading the NFL.

However, to pay Pierce, the Colts traded Michael Pittman Jr. to the Pittsburgh Steelers, which opened up $24 million in cap space. Was this the right move? Did the Colts choose the best receiver?

Sports Illustrated's Gilberto Manzano brings this up in his piece detailing all eight divisions in the NFL, and where they rank after free agency.

"The Colts went all in on re-signing quarterback Daniel Jones and wide receiver Alec Pierce, but in order to do that, they needed to trade wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. to Pittsburgh to create cap space.

It’s not a certainty that Indianapolis kept the better wideout."

Colts receiver Alec Pierce runs out onto the field. — Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce (14) takes the field Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, ahead of a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. | Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Manzano poses a fair argument here. Pierce and Pittman's strengths are vastly different to what they can bring to help an offense's passing attack.

We'll start with Pittman.

The veteran pass-catcher isn't a true big-play or downfield threat. While he's shown he can make those plays, his true value lies in volume and getting the tough, physical yards.

If you factor out Pittman's 2020 rookie season, he never dipped under 69 catches in the next five years. In short, he was the undisputed go-to option for whoever was playing quarterback for the Colts.

Pittman isn't the fastest, or even the crispest route-runner, but he finished his tenure with Indianapolis posting a rock-solid 68.4 percent catch efficiency.

When factoring in that he played with Philip Rivers (2020 and 2025), Carson Wentz (2021), Matt Ryan (2022), Sam Ehlinger (2022), Nick Foles (2022), Gardner Minshew (2023), Anthony Richardson Sr. (2023 and 2024), Joe Flacco (2024), Daniel Jones (2025), and Riley Leonard (2025), this metric is even more impressive.

MICHAEL PITTMAN JR. WHAT?!

TENvsIND on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/6wHriOZr2G
— NFL (@NFL) October 26, 2025

Pittman's production took a bit of a nosedive after Jones started playing with a fractured fibula, but then fell off a cliff and into an abyss once he was out for the year with an Achilles injury.

Still, it will be interesting to see how the Colts' offense operates without his ultra-reliable attributes as a receiver in 2025.

As for Pierce, he hasn't been a volume receiver in the slightest, especially considering the 47 catches he accumulated in 2025 were a career-high by six receptions (41 in 2022).

Pierce did start to expand his route tree and versatility in 2025, but he was able to maximize his opportunities because defenses were still factoring in Pittman's volume style.

While it remains to be seen if Pierce can transition into a true WR1 role, just having him on the field makes a defense rethink their entire gameplan.

Alec Pierce on his way to the BANK 🏦 @Colts pic.twitter.com/tWZwIUQuXg
— NFL (@NFL) March 9, 2026

Pierce will undoubtedly get more targets since he'll be the top weapon in Shane Steichen's offense when it comes to the passing attack, but he'll always threaten most as a deep ball talent.

There's a real chance that it won't matter who Indianapolis replaces Pittman with. Pierce needs to be targeted deep, or haul in a catch or two of 20-plus yards to open up everything else in the short or intermediate passing scheme.

Names like Josh Downs and tight end Tyler Warren will greatly benefit from Pierce's skills, but Pittman on the field also helped the matter, and gave Steichen a well-rounded offense that still operated through running back Jonathan Taylor.

It's hard to say right now whether or not Indianapolis went with the right receiver. However, each is proven in different ways that they're the best option between the two.

In short, it will be on Pierce to prove to Indianapolis that they went with the correct pass-catcher in 2026.

If Pierce can continue to build on an impressive 2025 season and elevate his play to give Indianapolis a more complete pass-catcher, then it will be clear that the franchise made the correct judgment.

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