Colts shell out historic free agent deal to keep receiver Alec Pierce

The Indianapolis Colts kept 1 of their wide receivers successful escaped agency, but shipped 1 retired arsenic well. 

Alec Pierce, who reportedly had offers elsewhere, is staying with the Colts aft agreeing to presumption connected a four-year, $116 cardinal deal, making the highest-paid escaped cause receiver successful NFL history, according to aggregate reports.

Pierce is getting $84 cardinal successful guarantees, including $60 cardinal afloat guaranteed astatine signing. 

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Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (11) looks connected during the NFL shot crippled betwixt the Indianapolis Colts and Pittsburgh Steelers connected Nov. 2, 2025 astatine Acrisure Stadium successful Pittsburgh, PA. (Mark Alberti/Icon Sportswire)

After the Pierce quality deed the escaped bureau stream, the Colts made a commercialized with the Pittsburgh Steelers, sending seasoned receiver Michael Pittman Jr. successful speech for a late-round prime swap, which has yet to beryllium announced. 

With Pittman’s woody scheduled to beryllium up aft this year, the Steelers reportedly inked him to a caller three-year, $59 cardinal woody to support him successful spot for the adjacent future. 

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The Steelers needed wide receiver assistance to spell on with D.K. Metcalf, who they traded for past play with the Seattle Seahawks. The large question is who volition beryllium throwing passes for them this season, arsenic each eyes are connected backmost Aaron Rodgers and whether a reunion with caller caput manager Mike McCarthy, who helium spent years with successful Green Bay arsenic helium starred for the Packers, is successful the cards. 

For the Colts, Pierce is idiosyncratic who had a breakout play successful 2025, seeing his archetypal 1,000-yard-plus run connected conscionable 47 catches, showcasing his heavy shot menace abilities with Daniel Jones arsenic the team’s caller quarterback. Pierce rapidly became 1 of the champion heavy shot players successful the NFL, and the Colts knew that facet of his crippled makes their discourtesy rather the threat. 

They decidedly paid him arsenic specified to marque definite helium didn’t prosecute immoderate different options connected the market. Then again, helium told ESPN’s "The Pat McAfee Show" however overmuch helium wanted to enactment put. 

Alec Pierce of the Indianapolis Colts catches a touchdown walk against Derek Stingley Jr. #24 of the Houston Texans during the 2nd 4th of the crippled astatine NRG Stadium connected Jan. 4, 2026 successful Houston, Texas. (Tim Warner/Getty Images)

"I knew wherever my bosom was," helium said connected the program. "I loved the metropolis of Indianapolis. I conscionable seen wherever we were astatine past year, aboriginal successful the year, benignant of rolling. I genuinely judge we were the No. 1 squad successful the NFL and conscionable evidently didn’t decorativeness retired the play similar we should have."

The Colts saw Jones spell down with an Achilles injury, knocking him retired for the remainder of the twelvemonth astatine the worst imaginable time. Philip Rivers was adjacent called upon to marque his shocking instrumentality to the gridiron, but the Colts couldn’t marque the playoffs contempt starting 8-2. 

Jones got the modulation tag from the Colts this offseason, which allowed Indianapolis to prosecute Pierce heavily, knowing they should person their backmost instrumentality for the 2026 campaign. 

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce looks connected during the crippled betwixt the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Indianapolis Colts connected Dec. 7, 2025 astatine EverBank Stadium successful Jacksonville, Fl. (David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire)

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With Jonathan Taylor mounting the code successful the Colts’ backfield, Pierce stretches the defence with his menace of going long, with 36.2% of his receptions going for 20 yards oregon much successful 2025. 

At the aforesaid time, the Steelers and McCarthy cognize Pittman is simply a trusty brace of hands, consenting to bash the soiled enactment successful the abbreviated and intermediate to determination the chains and supply a carnal beingness nary substance the duty with his 6-foot-4 frame. 

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