Indianapolis, IN — The Indianapolis Colts made history today by signing wide receiver Alec Pierce to the biggest free agent contract his position has ever seen, a 4-year, $114m deal containing $84m in guarantees.
Pierce is fresh off a season in which he lit the league on fire. Securing his first 1,000-yard season (1,003 yards) on a mere 47 receptions, his 21.3 yards-per-catch average notched the second consecutive year that he led the league in said statistic.
His vertical threat has long since been
established, but Pierce’s recent progression in contested catches and an improved route tree made him the top wideout to potentially hit free agency. After quarterback Daniel Jones was transition tagged late last week, all signs were pointing toward Pierce hitting the open market.
Lo and behold, a historic deal keeps him home. Though, according to NFL Insider Dianna Russini, Pierce turned down more money elsewhere to stay in Indianapolis. She reports that the Patriots, Raiders, Chargers, and 49ers were interested in Pierce’s services, but were expecting that he’d remain in Indianapolis.
Alec Pierce joined The Pat McAfee Show soon after the legal tampering period began to share some behind-the-scenes discussions and overall sentiments from his negotiation process.
“I knew where my heart was,” Pierce began to explain the emotional side of the negotiation process. “I love the city of Indianapolis. [When we were 8-2] I truly believed we were the number one team in the NFL.”
Pierce joined the Up & Adams Show last week following Daniel Jones’s aforementioned tagging and explained that what he’s looking for in a deal includes stability at quarterback. Given that the tag only guarantees one season of Daniel Jones, Pierce was reluctant to sign until Jones had inked a long-term deal with Indy. Fast-forward to today, and both Pierce and ESPN’s Stephen Holder hinted at Jones being extended as a matter of when, not if.
