Alec Pierce is staying in Indianapolis. The Colts just re-signed their 2023 first-round receiver to a four-year deal, and yeah, that stings a little in Foxborough. We had a legitimate shot at Pierce this offseason—he was on the board, he was available, and Mike Vrabel's offense could've used another vertical threat alongside DeMario Douglas. Instead, he's gone. Back to the Colts. Done.
Here's the thing: Pierce made sense for New England. He's 6-3, he's got legitimate deep speed, and he's only 24. The injury concerns that plagued his rookie year seem mostly behind him. Vrabel knows what he can do—coach against him twice a year in the AFC South. From a scheme fit perspective, Pierce is exactly the kind of contested-catch, boundary-stretching receiver that works in a Patriots system built around Drake Maye's arm talent. We needed that.
But Indianapolis moved faster. That's the NFL in 2026. The Colts recognized what they had, locked it up early, and took one of our top targets off the market. Meanwhile, we're working through the wishlist with limited time and deeper pockets from other teams. Cap space only matters if you spend it before someone else does.
This doesn't sink the draft class or anything. There's still talent in the receiver room to explore—free agency's still got depth pieces, and we can always go vertical in April. But Pierce represented a low-risk, high-upside veteran addition that could've accelerated things for Drake Maye's development. Sometimes the easiest moves are the best ones, and this was easy. Now it's not available.
The Colts made a smart play. Vrabel and Eliot Wolf have work to do elsewhere. That's the reality of March.