The Indianapolis Colts are going into the 2025 bye week at 8-2 and firmly in first place in the AFC South. Not to jinx anything (but to jinx everything), should the team not make the playoffs at this point would mean something terrible has happened.
The Colts are not only turning out to be better than expected, but could indeed be a championship contender. The defense needs to get healthy, of course, and it keeps getting less so, and Daniel Jones needs to revert to his first eight weeks form, but Indy is dangerous and the NFL knows it.
A big reason for the team's success has been wide receiver Alec Pierce. The wideout has always been explosive and led the league in yards per catch in 2024, even while working with less-talented quarterbacks than Jones, at least in head coach Shane Steichen's system.
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce is upping his asking price in free agency in real time
In training camp, Pierce appeared to be improving in his versatility, too. He wasn't going to simply be a deep-or-nothing receiver, but could catch passes over the middle, too. He is doing all that in the regular season through Week 10 and still averaging a league-leading 20.9 yards per catch.
The problem, albeit a great one, for the Colts is that he is a free agent in 2026. He will need to get paid a large amount of money, and will be, whether that is by the Colts or another team. Each week, Pierce seems to do something special, and that didn't change against the Atlanta Falcons in Berlin.
Pierce had a 37-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter to give Indy a 13-7 lead, but he did so not because he outran defenders, but because he boxed them out. The receiver was double-covered in the end zone, but he still managed to get in front as Jones' pass was on its way. It was the same kind of splash play he had done in Week 9 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, too.
The fourth-year Indianapolis Colts wideout isn't just big at 6'3" and fast; he is turning into a wideout that can run any route tree and do so exceedingly well. Teams have to be salivating at the chance to potentially sign him in free agency.
According to Spotrac, Alec Pierce's market value is a bit over $15 million for four seasons. Many other sites have his market value at closer to $18 million a season. If this is true and he signs a four-year contract, that would be $72 million. Good for the receiver, but not great for the Colts.
The team recently traded for cornerback Sauce Gardner and has to re-sign Daniel Jones, too. Those cap hits are going to eat into Indy's cap room quickly. Indianapolis might not be able to re-sign Pierce, but the team needs to make a huge effort to do so.