The Indianapolis Colts and free agent wide receiver Alec Pierce have agreed to a new contract as the leaguewide negotiating window opens.
Let’s take a closer look at what this extension means for the Colts moving forward.
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Alec Pierce’s contract
According to Tom Pelissero, the deal between the Colts and Pierce was made overnight. Pierce will earn a total of $114 million over four years. That includes $84 million in guarantees, $60 million of which is fully guaranteed at signing. Pierce could earn up to $116 million in the deal.
Chris Ballard’s risky move addressed
The Colts were forced to use the transition tag on Daniel Jones after failing to reach a deal with Daniel Jones before the March 3 tag deadline. That means Pierce is free to test the free agent market.
At that point, the possibility of losing Pierce to another team becomes very real. Pierce is one of the most coveted free agents this offseason, and the Colts will face stiff competition to retain him. This may also have increased Pierce’s worth, with the market pushing up the value of his contract.
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But it ended up being a contentious issue. Pierce is still under contract, and the Colts appear to be getting closer to a deal with Jones.
More salary cap adjustments must be made
Not including Pierce’s contract, the Colts were $105,711 over the 2026 salary cap on Monday, according to Over the Cap. To absorb Pierce’s trade while adding more players and re-signings, more cap space will be needed. Ballard must remain active over the next 48 hours as he works around the salary cap. One player to keep an eye on is Michael Pittman, who is a passed-over candidate.
This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: NFL Free Agency: 3 Observations on Colts Re-Signing Alec Pierce
