Recent NFL news puts even more pressure on the Colts to prevent WR Alec Pierce from hitting the free agency market

The Colts need to prevent Alec Pierce from becoming a free agent just skyrocketed.

Destin Adams — NFL News Writer

Feb 23, 2026 1:37 PM EST

The Indianapolis Colts’ offseason begins with two major decisions needing to be made with quarterback Daniel Jones and wide receiver Alec Pierce currently set to become free agents. The team has made their intentions clear; they want both players back in Indy next season, but time is ticking for the Colts to finalize extensions with both players.

The NFL’s legal tampering period begins on March 9. This will allow players set to become free agents on March 11 the ability to speak with other teams. Allowing your top in-house free agents to begin negotiating with other teams is a dangerous game. And the Colts can’t afford to let Jones or Pierce get to that point.

Pressure is already high for the Colts to bring both players back. However, it just increased when it comes to Pierce and his impending free agency. The latest NFL update would point toward Pierce being the top free agent WR available if he hits the open market.

Cowboys make their plans to franchise tag George Pickens, and all eyes now move to Alec Pierce and the Colts

The leaguewide expectation has been that the Dallas Cowboys will place the franchise tag on star WR George Pickens. On Monday, the team’s COO, Stephen Jones, made it official, sharing that the team plans to franchise-tag Pickens next week.

If he hit the open market, Pickens was likely to be the top WR on every WR-needy team’s free agency wish list. Those teams now have to either focus their attention on trying to convince the Cowboys to tag and trade the WR or move on to a different wideout altogether.

For those who choose the second option, Colts WR Alec Pierce would be the consensus top WR to focus on. It was reported during the season that Pierce was expected to net a contract of at least $20 million a year, and now it seems likely he will cross that threshold and then some.

The franchise tag for a WR is expected to come in at just under $29 million, and the transition tag is expected to come in at just over $25 million. There are two types of franchise tags: the exclusive and the non-exclusive. The exclusive tag prevents a player from speaking with other teams, and his rights remain with his current team on a one-year, fully guaranteed contract that averages the five largest yearly salaries at his position over the past five years.

The non-exclusive tag allows the player to speak to other teams and even gives them the chance to agree to a contract. If that happens, the player’s previous team can either match the offer or allow him to leave and receive draft compensation equivalent to two first-round picks.


The Colts also have the option to transition tag Pierce. The transition tag averages the top 10 players over the past five years at their respective positions to give them a one-year, fully guaranteed contract. This, like the non-exclusive franchise tag, would allow Pierce to speak with other teams and develop a better understanding of his market across the league. If he lands a deal elsewhere, the Colts would have five days to either match the contract and keep him or allow him to leave without receiving draft compensation in return.

I think the Colts’ best option if they can’t extend Pierce by the deadline is to place the non-exclusive franchise tag on the WR. This would set up a win-win situation for the team. Either they get their top WR back in the fold for 2026 and beyond, or his new team is forced to trade them two first-round picks, which would help soften the blow of losing Pierce.

Indianapolis Colts News

Colts are viewed to be a strong fit to sign a former second-round pick that would fit their defense like a glove

This move would be a no-brainer for the Colts, but another domino likely has to fall first.

Destin Adams