Colts Urged to Explore Alec Pierce Trade With NFC Suitor

With NFL roster cutdown day approaching, now is the time of year when the league is bound to see a few trades around the edges for teams looking to either slim down their 53-man roster or even claim value on a player they see worth moving.

For the Indianapolis Colts, they easily could be among those teams following suit in that trend to shuffle their roster and make a last-minute deal before the regular season. And in the eyes of Bleacher Report's Alex Kay, one name worth watching to be a potential mover is none other than Alec Pierce.

Kay put together a proposed trade that would send Pierce over to the Minnesota Vikings, with Indianapolis landing a third-round pick in exchange for his services, largely with a focus on claiming value on Pierce and his expiring contract before next offseason's free agency.

"The Colts are trending towards another trying season without a solution to their quarterback woes. While Daniel Jones has beaten out incumbent starter Anthony Richardson, it's going to be tough for the veteran signal-caller to get this middling franchise into contention. Indianapolis should be proactive at this juncture, dealing away players on expiring contracts such as Alec Pierce to clubs desperate for assistance."

"The Vikings fit the bill as a potential suitor for Pierce, given the squad is dealing with a three-week suspension to Jordan Addison and could be without Jalen Nailor while he nurses a hand injury. Pierce was a second-round pick in 2022 and still has plenty of potential, but the poor quarterback play in Indy has limited his contributions. A change of scenery could see him blossom as a tertiary option in Minnesota."

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The rationale behind the deal does make some sense. In a world where the Colts weren't interested in keeping Pierce on a second contract and felt as if third-round value was fair for him, sending him to a team coveting receivers like Minnesota is a strong fit.

Indianapolis may even have the pass-catching depth behind Pierce to support a move like this in guys like Michael Pittman, Josh Downs, AD Mitchell, and rookie tight end Tyler Warren, if they desired. But, with the season Pierce comes off in 2024, it's hard to believe the Colts would be rushing to send off a 25-year-old pass catcher fresh off career-best production.

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce (14) takes the field Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, before a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. | Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Pierce finished the 2024 season logging 37 receptions, 824 yards, and seven touchdowns, leading Indianapolis in yards and touchdowns through the air, and even leading the entire NFL with 22.3 yards per catch.

Especially as this staff is hoping to set up new starter Daniel Jones for success right off the bat, keeping the offense's most potent receiver for at least one more season seems like it'd be a wiser decision than trying to capitalize on any trade value. This Colts brass may very well be fighting for their jobs across this coming season, so keeping good players on the roster for a make-or-break campaign will be extremely important for Shane Steichen and Chris Ballard to keep at the forefront.

Pierce might be a better fit on the field as a deep-ball target to Anthony Richardson and his accompanying arm talent. But with Jones at the helm, Pierce is still bound to be a valuable target in this offense for the season ahead, and shouldn't be on track to be moved, at least for now.

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