ESPN’s Stephen Holder provides an update on the Indianapolis Colts and future free agent Alec Pierce.
Holder said this in X’s post:
“There have been some positive developments in the past 24 hours. Negotiations with Alec Pierce continue and a deal feels possible today. But there’s still a long way to go. It will likely be done before today’s franchise tag deadline at 4 o’clock ET.”
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The franchise tag deadline Holder mentioned is key to all of this. If the Colts are able to reach an agreement with Pierce or Daniel Jones before then, it would give them the freedom to use the franchise tag or transition tag on another player — providing Indianapolis some insurance instead of Jones or Pierce hitting the open market.
Teams can only use one of these tags each offseason. So if a deal isn’t done with either player by 4:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday, one of Jones or Pierce will be tagged — and it sounds like it should be Jones — potentially resulting in the other player becoming a free agent if a deal isn’t done before free agency begins.
Holder added, “Remember: Pierce wants certainty at quarterback (big man Daniel Jones). That’s not there right now.”
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ESPN’s Field Yates provided some additional thoughts on the current contract negotiations between the Colts, Pierce and Jones.
“The biggest domino of the tag deadline is what happens with the Colts,” Yates posted on X . “If there is no deal with Daniel Jones, he will almost certainly get the tag. If Alec Pierce wants to hit the open market, he’s going to get a ton of cash. If the Colts can somehow get a deal done quickly with Daniel Jones, Pierce will feel like the tag is tied.”
Both Jones and Pierce will receive substantial salaries. Now that it’s a winning season for Chris Ballard, keeping these two players feels like a must.
(This story has been updated to add new information.)
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This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: Colts insiders update on Alec Pierce contract talks