How much will it cost? That is what matters currently in terms of the Indianapolis Colts and wide receiver Alec Pierce. Come March 11, the official beginning of the new league year, Pierce might no longer be part of the franchise. The second-round pick in 2022 is free to sign anywhere.
What is clear is that Pierce is going to get paid a lot of money by some team, though hopefully that is Indy. His floor asking price might be $20 million a season. In reality, he could make it into the mid-$20 million. If a bidding war ensues for the explosive wideout, even $30 million isn't out of the question.
The Colts might not be able to afford that without letting go of players such as Michael Pittman, Jr. Releasing the veteran receiver would save the team $24 million. That might be the exact amount needed to re-sign Pierce.
Current Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce appears fully ready for free agency
As for the wide receiver, he is ready for the financial insanity that free agency can bring. He and his agent must know that Pierce is going to be among the hotter names on the market in 2026. Adding him to a team gives that team one of the best (if not the best) deep threats in the league.
He was asked during a talk with SiriusXM NFL Radio if Pierce was ready for the start of the first free agency availability of his career. Free agency begins in March. The wide receiver answered in the affirmative.
He said, "(I am) good (where) everything stands. I think it's gonna be a lot of good things in front of me, and we'll see...this next month might be crazy, but we'll see what ends up happening."
In other words, Alec Pierce wants to see what happens, as he should. Maybe his agent has an idea of what his client is worth on the open market, but the agent cannot speak with teams currently. Once the legal tampering period begins (or what it is called currently) begins, the number expected might change. In the wide receiver's case, it will likely go up.
The Indianapolis Colts could place the franchise tag on Alec Pierce, which would pay the wide receiver $28 million in 2026. That would be a hefty raise for a player who earned slightly less than $4 million this season. Indy would be better off getting the wideout to sign for longer, however. The team doesn't want the same free agent drama with Pierce to happen again next offseason.