Even while the Indianapolis Colts' offense is not nearly as efficient as it was in the first eight games of the season, wide receiver Alec Pierce has kept doing Alec Pierce things. All the splashy plays from previous seasons have become more consistent this year. That continued into Week 13 as Indy lost to the Houston Texans 20-16.
While much of the rest of the Indianapolis offense was struggling in the first half, Pierce was breaking off explosive plays. Nothing was bigger than his brilliant touchdown catch in the corner of the end zone in the second quarter to put the Colts up temporarily. He used his size and athleticism to out-position and out-jump the Texans' defenders
Pierce even added his talents to the defense at the end of the first half when Houston tried a Hail Mary that the Colts' wide receiver-turned-defensive back batted down, forcing an incompletion. Pierce's willingness to do anything to help his team win should not go unnoticed.
Alec Pierce might have priced himself off of the Indianapolis Colts with another brilliant performance
In the third quarter, he helped set up a touchdown to Tyler Warren after drawing a pass interference call at the Texans' 13-yard line. If not for the PI, Pierce likely would have caught the pass as he had the defender beat.
Still, the wide receiver is a problem, but in the best way. With every passing week, Pierce's asking price goes up in free agency in 2026. Could he be a true No. 1 receiver in an offensive system? Likely, as he has the size and speed to do so.
He just might not ever be a No. 1 in Indianapolis because the Colts' scheme doesn't require one. Pierce might weight how much he wants his raw statistics to increase versus familairity with city, team, and system. He will get paid either way.
The Colts might not pay him as much as another team, however. Indy probably can't. General manager Chris Ballard is going to have to make re-signing quarterback Daniel Jones a priority, and that is going to eat a lot of cap space. If Pierce gets offered $20 million or more a year by some other team, he should take it.
Entering Week 13, Alec Pierce had played in nine games this season, caught 29 passes for 611 yards, which was a league-leading 21.1 yards per catch. He almost certainly would have more targets, catches, and yards for a team with a different system and fewer quality wideouts.
In Week 13, he finished with four catches on five targets for 78 yards and a touchdown. He was arguably the best player on his offense.
The Indianapolis Colts might not be rolling as well offensively as they were earlier in the season, but Pierce is. He is also a reason that the team is still firmly in the playoff hunt. He needs to be re-signed, but Indy might not be able to afford him.