Chris Ballard's intentions on keeping Alec Pierce seem crystal clear at this point

What does loyalty mean in sports these days, really? Not much. Business is business, never personal. That said, when a front office member — a high-ranking front office member — declares publicly that a specific player is a priority, you hope that they stay true to their word. 

Indianapolis Colts GM Chris Ballard just did this when speaking on Alec Pierce's free agency status and whether the Colts plan on re-signing the standout wide receiver. Ballard has a handful of holes to address this offseason on both the defense and the offense, but Pierce has to be a priority and at the top of the list. 

Also, considering the fact that Ballard, alongside Shane Steichen, is likely heading into the 2026-27 NFL season with a ton of pressure, everything that he does this summer could either break or make his future with the organization. However, is recent comments on Pierce sound like good news, rather than bad.

Indianapolis Colts' Chris Ballard speaks highly of Alec Pierce

Pierce really came on during this past season, racking up 1,003 yards (the first 1,000-yard season of his career) on 47 receptions and including 6 touchdowns. The receptions are also a career-high, but had Daniel Jones not gotten injured in mid-December, the likelihood of Pierce's receptions being significantly higher was good.

It's strange to say that Pierce will be entering his fifth NFL season come September, but only because no one outside of Indianapolis really knew who he was until this past season. Now, he's a hot commodity and one of the most attractive free agents to hit the market this offseason.

The Colts, who have many issues on their end to solve this summer, should be focused on keeping Pierce in-house, especially if they cut bait with Michael Pittman Jr., and that seems more likely than not. So, while Ballard will have his plate full this summer with drafting some real needs on defense, he also has to worry about re-signing Daniel Jones and Pierce, should the wideout decide to return. 

Ballard spoke recently about Pierce's status with the Colts as a free agent and sounded pretty confident about the prospect of luring him back, expressing his personal belief in him, even going back to Pierce's college days. 

"From Day 1, from when we worked him out at the University of Cincinnati, we had a great belief in Alec Pierce," Ballard said. "I think he's been a good player every year. ... I thought Reggie [Wayne] did a tremendous job helping him expand his game to all three levels. Alec's a priority."

What does Wayne have to do with this? The longtime Colts wideout who caught passes from Peyton Manning for 11 seasons in Indianapolis has been the wide receivers coach in Indy for a few years and has heavily influenced Pierce's development since coming into the league in 2022. Who better to learn from if you're Pierce?

Should Pierce return to Indianapolis, this bodes well not only for Ballard but also for the Colts' offense, especially for Jones, provided he also returns. Both players are free agents this summer, and if the Colts want to replicate what they looked like for much of last season, re-signing both players works well in their favor.