According to CBS Sports Jared Dubin, the Indianapolis Colts have some work to do regarding the league’s “best triplets,” as the trio of starting quarterback Daniel Jones, running back Jonathan Taylor, and wide receiver Alec Pierce came in as just the NFL’s 21st best playmaking trio:
21. Indianapolis Colts (Avg: 20.6, High: 14, Low: 25)
QB: Daniel Jones, RB: Jonathan Taylor, WR: Alec Pierce
The Colts climbed 10 spots from a year ago. They’re in a virtual tie with the Jaguars. This is way too high for them. Jones put together a very good stretch to begin
the season, but it was wildly out of character when compared to the rest of his career, and he’s now coming off a torn Achilles, which sapped the effectiveness of significantly better quarterbacks in the past. Taylor is an elite running back, but Pierce is a pure deep threat being thrust into the role of No. 1 option and coming off a major injury of his own; he might not even be ready for training camp.
It’s a far cry from the ‘glory years’ of Colts football, when the iconic (and future NFL Hall of Fame) trio of Peyton Manning, Marvin Harrison, and Edgerrin James was unquestionably the best in football from a passing, catching, and rushing standpoint as a unit.
While the Colts’ horseshoe has lost some of that shine in more recent harder times, Indianapolis star workhorse Jonathan Taylor remains arguably a Top 5 player at his position following another highly productive campaign.
The issue is that the Colts may not realistically know which version of Daniel Jones they’ll be getting for the 2026 campaign. The breakout quarterback from last year in the midst of a career season in his debut Colts campaign with head coach Shane Steichen, or the oft-injured, turnover prone version that Jones previously was with the New York Giants—especially if he can’t fully physically recover from a late season torn Achilles suffered last year.
As for Pierce, he has not shown enough yet collectively in his entire wide receiver skill-set to be considered a Top 10 player at his position. However, he’s only gotten better each season he’s been in the league. It’s not out of the question that he could only continue to be a more well-rounded NFL wideout with another year under his belt, and with a much heavier volume share expected with veteran wideout Michael Pittman Jr’s recent departure.
If nothing else, Pierce has an elite NFL skill-set as it relates to being a downfield threat, as having led the league in highest average yards per reception the past two seasons, he’s indisputably among the league’s best at it.
Still, it’s hard to disagree with this latest ranking. The Colts have a lot of “what if’s” to ascend in these rankings, particularly as it relates to Jones’ making a full physical comeback and regaining his midseason 2025 form, while Pierce must only continue to improve to become a more complete NFL wideout as the new de facto Colts #1 WR.
