Indianapolis Colts’ budding star wide receiver Alec Pierce recently revealed on the Up & Adams Show that he will indeed be testing the open market as an unrestricted free agent come Monday, March 9th at 12:00 PM EST.
“I love Indy. I’ve loved playing there. Great organization, great people in the city. Just a ton of support,” Pierce began explaining his mindset as a free agent. “I know we haven’t been as good as we could be — and I know we can be — but at this point, I’ve kind of earned the right to explore free agency. See what’s out there, and make a decision that’s best for my career and my family.”
Pierce can still agree to a new deal with the Colts up until then, given that he’s an in-house free agent, but signs are pointing toward talks being tabled until after the negotiating period opens up. Him hitting the open market was expected after the Colts placed the transition tag on quarterback Daniel Jones, but it is worrisome knowing that Jones has yet to agree to an extension to remain in Indy.
It’s been reported that Pierce is demanding stability at the quarterback position, ultimately implying that if Daniel Jones is not back, neither will he. The Colts placing the transition tag on Jones confirms that they’re willing to move forward with him as their franchise guy, at least for the foreseeable future, given the unanswered questions surrounding his road to recovery, though until they agree on a long-term extension (can happen anytime from now until July 15th), the aforementioned quarterback stability remains an unchecked box.
Pierce reiterated this sentiment on today’s show, saying that his most important factors are quarterback play and franchise stability when deciding which organization his next era will take place. A winning culture is also something Pierce is looking for, though the top priority remains stability at the quarterback position as opposed to pure production.
“Being in Indy, I’ve played with a bunch of different quarterbacks,” Pierce began explaining why he, or any passcatcher, values QB stability so much. “I think the Colts are on their way to figuring that out with Daniel [Jones] if they can get a long-term deal done with him, because I believe in him a ton as a quarterback. I think I’ve understood the battles that come with not having that stability, so I think as a free agent that is something I would look into a lot.”
He wants to ensure that his own long-term deal will mirror that of his quarterback’s, which is incredibly fair for someone whose career targets are comprised of too many pigskin throwers to count on both hands.
It could be subtle agent talk for Pierce to join a popular show and subsequently drive his own price up, though he’ll be doing the same by testing the open market. Coming back to Chris Ballard and Co. with definitive, in-hand offers will ultimately do more as a negotiation tactic than any live show or podcast spot would. That or the secret third option that Daniel Jones and Alec Pierce are working in tandem behind the scenes to net the highest possible collective payday.
NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero just recently explained the intricacies of Alec Pierce’s demand as the market’s top wideout available, and why he’s poised to see a $27M/year or more payday.
With George Pickens getting the franchise tag in Dallas, Pierce is the top receiver available, and his contract figures to be eye-popping. While Pierce has never topped 47 catches in a season, he’s a big play waiting to happen: Over the past two years, Pierce leads the NFL in yards per reception (21.8) and receptions of 40+ yards (12); his 21.3 yards per catch last season was the second-highest mark by a player with 1,000-plus receiving yards since 2000, trailing only DeSean Jackson’s 2010 campaign. Pierce and Jackson are the only players since 2010 to average 20+ yards per catch in multiple seasons. The largest contract ever signed by a free-agent receiver was Calvin Ridley’s four-year, $92 million deal ($23M APY) with the Titans two years ago. The guess here is Pierce blows past that and gets $27 million or more per season.
All we know now is that there’s a legitimate possibility that the Colts lose their 2022 draftee and best wide receiver due to the very same issue that’s plagued the Chris Ballard era Colts: quarterback instability.
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