Daniel Jones should be priority 1A for the Indianapolis Colts this offseason, and wide receiver Alec Pierce should be 1B. While Pierce has been the most explosive wideout in the NFL in each of the past two seasons, he still needs a good quarterback to get him the ball. Quarterback Jones needs great receivers in whom to deliver his passes.
Without Pierce, Indy's wide receiver group is somewhat pedestrian. Josh Downs has a lot of quickness, but is more of a pure slot receiver. Veteran Michael Pittman is sure-handed but doesn't usually take the top off the defense. Tight end Tyler Warren is still finding his way in the NFL.
The issue with watching Pierce leave in free agency could be two-fold. One is the Colts simply losing their one receiver who can consistently beat teams deep. Without Pierce, opposing defenses can crunch the line a bit more to focus on stopping running back Jonathan Taylor.
Indianapolis Colts projected to lose Alec Pierce to the Tennessee Titans
The other facet that could be a problem is if Pierce leaves for an AFC South rival. According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), the best landing spot for the Indy wideout is the Tennessee Titans. Should Pierce end up there, the result would be brutal.
One thing is certain, and that is that Tennessee could outspend the Colts for the wide receiver. While Indy has a projected $35,598,489 to spend this offseason (13th-most in the league), according to Over the Cap, Tennessee has $104,769,062, the most in the NFL. If Pierce wants to follow the money, the Titans would be the place to go.
Tennessee also currently has the better quarterback situation. Indianapolis cannot assume Jones will return, though the team could place the franchise tag on him, while Tennessee has Cam Ward, the top pick in the 2025 NFL draft, who flashed high-end potential in his rookie season. Even if Jones returns, Pierce might see a lot more targets from Ward in Nashville.
Some have also suggested that Alec Pierce would rather stay in the Midwest area, as he is from west of Chicago and played college at Cincinnati, but if that narrative is true, Nashville is part of the region. There is little difference between Indianapolis and the home of the Titans in terms of the culture of the city.
The Indianapolis Colts could also focus on re-signing Daniel Jones while placing the franchise tag on Alec Pierce. Either way, Jones and Pierce need to be back in 2026 and well beyond. Facing Pierce on the opposite side of the ball twice a season with Tennessee would be no fun.