On the one hand, it’s weird to see Alec Pierce as the game’s 11th-highest paid wide receiver. But he came up with a lot of clutch catches last year – he’s good.
Ultimately, the Colts decided to re-up with him, giving him a four-year deal worth $114 million, with $60 million guarantee. And with the salary cap exploding, that’s not an outlandish deal. If Romeo Doubs, Wan’Dale Robinson and Rashid Shaheed are getting deals averaging over $17 million, it’s not out of line for Pierce to come in at $28.5.
Watch his highlights from the just-completed season. He’s getting downfield, and he’s coming down with contested grabs. They’ve got Tyler Warren and Josh Downs, who’ll catch plenty of balls, but he’s their big-play weapon.
Two years in a row he’s averaged over 21 yards per catch, and two years in a row he’s done so with a nice catch percentage.
If we look not at yards-per-catch but yards per target (including incompletions) he’s averaged 11.9 yards per play two years in a row. In the last five years, only one wide receiver with at least 50 targets has averaged more yards per target in a season. (That would be 2023 Brandon Aiyuk, who’s looking to bounce back with a new team after a couple of down seasons.)
In the last five years, only 39 wide receivers with at least 50 targets have averaged at least 10 yards per target. Pierce coming in almost 2 yards above that level.
| AVERAGING 10 YARDS PER TARGET | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | Tgt | No | Yards | Avg | TD | YPT |
| 2023 | Brandon Aiyuk, S.F. | 105 | 75 | 1,342 | 17.9 | 7 | 12.8 |
| 2024 | Alec Pierce, Ind. | 69 | 37 | 824 | 22.3 | 7 | 11.9 |
| 2025 | Alec Pierce, Ind. | 84 | 47 | 1,003 | 21.3 | 6 | 11.9 |
| 2023 | Nico Collins, Hou. | 109 | 80 | 1,297 | 16.2 | 8 | 11.9 |
| 2024 | Christian Watson, G.B. | 53 | 29 | 620 | 21.4 | 2 | 11.7 |
| 2021 | Deebo Samuel, S.F. | 121 | 77 | 1,405 | 18.3 | 6 | 11.6 |
| 2022 | Jaylen Waddle, Mia. | 117 | 75 | 1,356 | 18.1 | 8 | 11.6 |
| 2021 | Kendrick Bourne, N.E. | 70 | 55 | 800 | 14.6 | 5 | 11.4 |
| 2024 | Jayden Reed, G.B. | 75 | 55 | 857 | 15.6 | 6 | 11.4 |
| 2021 | Ja'Marr Chase, Cin. | 128 | 81 | 1,455 | 18.0 | 13 | 11.4 |
| 2024 | A.J. Brown, Phil. | 97 | 67 | 1,079 | 16.1 | 7 | 11.1 |
| 2025 | Christian Watson, G.B. | 55 | 35 | 611 | 17.5 | 6 | 11.1 |
| 2024 | Jameson Williams, Det. | 91 | 58 | 1,001 | 17.3 | 7 | 11.0 |
| 2025 | Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Sea. | 163 | 119 | 1,793 | 15.1 | 10 | 11.0 |
| 2021 | Tyler Lockett, Sea. | 107 | 73 | 1,175 | 16.1 | 8 | 11.0 |
| 2025 | Jameson Williams, Det. | 102 | 65 | 1,117 | 17.2 | 7 | 11.0 |
| 2025 | Luther Burden, Chi. | 60 | 47 | 652 | 13.9 | 2 | 10.9 |
| 2023 | George Pickens, Pitt. | 106 | 63 | 1,140 | 18.1 | 5 | 10.8 |
| 2023 | Justin Jefferson, Min. | 100 | 68 | 1,074 | 15.8 | 5 | 10.7 |
| 2023 | Tyreek Hill, Mia. | 171 | 119 | 1,799 | 15.1 | 13 | 10.5 |
| 2024 | Rashod Bateman, Balt. | 72 | 45 | 756 | 16.8 | 9 | 10.5 |
| 2021 | Quez Watkins, Phil. | 62 | 43 | 647 | 15.1 | 1 | 10.4 |
| 2025 | George Pickens, Dall. | 137 | 93 | 1,429 | 15.4 | 9 | 10.4 |
| 2025 | Kendrick Bourne, S.F. | 53 | 37 | 551 | 14.9 | 0 | 10.4 |
| 2025 | Puka Nacua, LAR | 166 | 129 | 1,715 | 13.3 | 10 | 10.3 |
| 2022 | A.J. Brown, Phil. | 145 | 88 | 1,496 | 17.0 | 11 | 10.3 |
| 2023 | Noah Brown, Hou. | 55 | 33 | 567 | 17.2 | 2 | 10.3 |
| 2021 | Donovan Peoples-Jones, Cle. | 58 | 34 | 597 | 17.6 | 3 | 10.3 |
| 2025 | Zay Flowers, Balt. | 118 | 86 | 1,211 | 14.1 | 5 | 10.3 |
| 2024 | Ladd McConkey, LAC | 112 | 82 | 1,149 | 14.0 | 7 | 10.3 |
| 2022 | Darius Slayton, NYG | 71 | 46 | 724 | 15.7 | 2 | 10.2 |
| 2021 | Cooper Kupp, LAR | 191 | 145 | 1,947 | 13.4 | 16 | 10.2 |
| 2024 | Nico Collins, Hou. | 99 | 68 | 1,006 | 14.8 | 7 | 10.2 |
| 2022 | Tyreek Hill, Mia. | 170 | 119 | 1,710 | 14.4 | 7 | 10.1 |
| 2023 | DJ Moore, Chi. | 136 | 96 | 1,364 | 14.2 | 8 | 10.0 |
| 2023 | Deebo Samuel, S.F. | 89 | 60 | 892 | 14.9 | 7 | 10.0 |
| 2023 | Dontayvion Wicks, G.B. | 58 | 39 | 581 | 14.9 | 4 | 10.0 |
| 2025 | Ricky Pearsall, S.F. | 53 | 36 | 528 | 14.7 | 0 | 10.0 |
| 2024 | Justin Jefferson, Min. | 154 | 103 | 1,533 | 14.9 | 10 | 10.0 |
—Ian Allan

