Should Indianapolis Colts GM Chris Ballard entertain trade offers for starting wide receiver Alec Pierce? That idea has gained traction in recent days, since Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay floated the concept a few days ago. Kay proposed a deal that would send the fourth-year wideout from Cincinnati to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for a third-round draft pick.
Minnesota has some issues at receiver right now, and a young deep threat like Pierce would certainly be appealing. The Vikings are pursuing a reunion with veteran Adam Thielen, but those negotiations have hit snags. A trade involving Pierce might still make sense for Minnesota even if they were to complete a Thielen deal, but for now, this particular trade seems unlikely.
That does not rule out anything on Indy’s end. If they are inclined to move Pierce, there would be interest around the league. 25-year-old wideouts capable of putting up 22 yards per catch don’t show up every day. Pierce led the entire NFL in that category last year, while scoring seven touchdowns. Both marks were career bests.
Should the Indianapolis Colts trade Alex Pierce?
It would be easy to dismiss trade talk involving Pierce. He is an ascendant player. His best days are ahead of him. The Colts have not had a dynamic receiving corps for a long time, and the current configuration is showing promising signs.
Michael Pittman remains a steady big-target alpha. Josh Downs is developing into a dangerous slot receiver. Pierce completes a well-balanced trio by providing a deep threat. Why mess with that?
Well, there are a couple of reasons.
First, if second-year player Adonai Mitchell is ready to make the jump that some are predicting, he would be a natural replacement for Pierce. If Ballard thinks he can move on from Pierce and perhaps find an equal or better playmaker at the Z receiver spot, it makes all the sense in the world.
Then there is the contract issue. Pierce is in the final year of his rookie deal. Based on his breakout 2024 season, he will be due a major pay raise for 2026. Moving him now might make sense from a financial perspective.
Finally, Pierce’s situation cannot be divorced from the broader quarterback question in Indianapolis. Any team without a clear long-term starting QB in place has to make the acquisition of that quarterback its top priority.
Even Daniel Jones' supporters acknowledge he is not a sure thing for the future. Pierce is one of the more valuable trade chips Ballard has right now, and adding some draft capital might help him maneuver for another QB down the road.
And there are legitimate questions as to how effective Pierce will be with Jones throwing him the ball. For all his faults, Anthony Richardson got the ball downfield better than most NFL QBs in 2024, and that suits Pierce’s game.
AR5’s 12.2 intended air yards-per-pass dwarfed all other QBs last year. His low completion rate was a drag on his overall performance, but Richardson was often at his best when he was going deep.
Jones is not that quarterback. His intended air yards were a full five yards lower than Richardson’s, and were about a half yard below the league average. You could certainly make the case that with Jones at QB, Alec Pierce will not replicate his numbers from 2024.
Those are all legit reasons to consider a trade. But here’s what Ballard really needs to think about.
First, Jones figures to be better throwing deep this year simply because Indy’s line is better than what he had with the Giants. A better line equals more time, which leads to more downfield shots.
Second, as enticing as he can look, relying on Mitchell at this point is a major act of faith. Mitchell is still developing, and I like the idea of him getting one more year of growth behind someone like Pierce before taking over a vital starting spot. He should be a starter in 2026, but do you trust him to be one in ’25?
Those are largely scouting issues. They are based on how good you think Jones and Mitchell will be in 2025. The final question has little to do with that.
What kind of culture does it establish in the locker room if you trade away a young player coming off his best season? If you believe in Mitchell 100 percent, this may not be an issue, but if there is any doubt, it becomes a major consideration.
In that case, trading Pierce would say to the rest of the team that 2025 doesn’t matter. We are building for the future. You think that is a message that will sit well with Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner? You cannot leave any doubt in your players’ minds that your primary goal is to win games right now. Doing anything else runs the risk of fostering a losing mentality, and that is hard to shake.
Some teams are forced into this position. The Colts are not there yet. Alec Pierce gives them a better chance to win games in 2025, regardless of the quarterback or the emergence of Adonai Mitchell. He should remain a Colt in 2025.