Colts gambled, and their loss is about to be a massive win for Alec Pierce, who has made himself invaluable in a contract year
Alec Pierce has made himself so much money, and the Colts have no one to blame but themselves for not paying him sooner.
As of late, there hasn’t been much to smile about for the Indianapolis Colts. The team has lost six of its last seven games and, after a 7-1 start, is now 9-7, on the verge of elimination from the playoffs. A truly embarrassing collapse that will impact the franchise well beyond this season.
Leaving their Week 16 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, if anyone on the Colts deserves their flowers, it’s QB Philip Rivers and WR Alec Pierce. Rivers finished the day 23-of-35 for 277 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. Both touchdowns were thrown to Pierce, who finished with 86 yards and two touchdowns.
Pierce’s value is now at an all-time high, and with him set to hit free agency this offseason, the Colts have to be kicking themselves for not paying him sooner.
The Colts have to keep Alec Pierce no matter the cost
Some teams try to get ahead of the curve when it comes to extending young players. Trying to pay them before they truly hit their peak value to get a decent deal in the long run. When it comes to the Colts and Pierce, Indianapolis gambled and lost big time. There was hope Adonai Mitchell could be the future at WR, and therefore, they could let Pierce walk. Well, he’s now a Jet, and Pierce has developed into the Colts’ clear top WR.
Pierce has easily played himself into being a $20 million+ WR. He has the most receiving yards of his career with 871, and now has four touchdowns. The reality is the Colts can’t afford to let him walk for nothing. So if the two sides can’t agree on a new deal ahead of free agency, they will almost certainly have to use the franchise tag, which won’t be cheap.
The projected price for the WR franchise tag in 2026 is just north of $28 million. A steep price, but one the team will have to pay because, as I already stated, it can’t afford to let him hit the market.
If that happens, the Colts will likely have to make some tough decisions. One of which is that Pierce’s fellow WR, Michael Pittman Jr., has a cap hit of $29 million but only a dead cap of $5 million. Fans and the locker room love Pittman, but if the team has to choose between Pierce and Pittman from a talent standpoint, it’s not even a question – Pierce wins that debate.
Waiting to pay Pierce is another example of the front office dropping the ball and hurting the team’s long-term future.
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