Don't be fooled by the final numbers that were dragged down by the Sam Ehlinger games -- Pierce is a vertical threat. He topped 20 yards per reception (PPR) four times from Weeks 3-9 as a rookie. Pierce finished as a WR2 or better (PPR) just twice in 2022, but rookie QB Anthony Richardson is a vertically-oriented thrower and that fits Pierce's skill set as a size/speed weapon who dominated on the vertical plane at the collegiate level. Pierce is coming off the board in Round 14 and he makes for an excellent late-round sleeper target with an upgraded offensive system and a quarterback who fits what he does best.
Pierce recorded three receptions on six targets for 100 yards and one touchdown in Sunday's 31-28 overtime win over the Titans.
Pierce made the most of limited opportunity, as he opened his performance with a 36-yard touchdown to cap the Colts' first offensive possession. It took until overtime, but Pierce delivered another explosive play on a 55-yard reception to set up the game-winning score two plays later. The performance marked Pierce's first career 100-yard game and only the second time this season that he's topped 50 yards.
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Colts' Alec Pierce: Week 14 Early Waiver Targets (Add/Drop)
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Pierce gave the Colts something they've been missing this season in Week 13 against the Titans: A deep threat. Pierce hit on a couple of long shots Sunday, including right from the jump with a 36-yard score on the team's first drive of the game. He added another 55-yarder later during a six-target game. Pierce hasn't taken the step forward we were hoping for in his second season, but maybe this can be the start.
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Colts' Alec Pierce: Four receptions in win
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Pierce had four receptions for 27 yards on six targets in Sunday's 27-20 win against Tampa Bay.
After recording just one reception for 21 yards over his last two games, Pierce was more involved against Tampa Bay. He had his most receptions in a game this season, which speaks more to his lack of production in the offense. He continues to get a heavy workload as a starting wide receiver but few receptions as Indy's main deep threat.
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Colts' Alec Pierce: One grab in win
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Pierce caught his only target for 21 yards in Sunday's 10-6 win over the Patriots.
Pierce's modest production continued Sunday, as his one target in the contest was his lowest of the season. The 23-year-old wideout has been consistently underwhelming this season despite playing a high-percentage of the Colts' offensive snaps every week. Pierce played 96 percent of the offensive snaps against the Patriots, ahead of fellow receivers Michael Pittman and Josh Downs, the latter of whom was limited due to a knee injury. Going forward, Pierce will likely be little more than a touchdown-dependent fantasy option, especially if Downs is able to handle a larger workload coming out of the Colts' Week 11 bye.
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Colts' Alec Pierce: Gets green light for Germany game
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Pierce (ankle) is active for Sunday's game against the Patriots in Frankfurt, Germany, Kevin Bowen of 107.5 The Fan Indianapolis reports.
Pierce was added to the Colts' injury report Thursday after an ankle injury limited his practice participation, but he upgraded to full activity Friday. He still took a questionable tag into Sunday, but the designation looks to have been mostly precautionary. The second-year player shouldn't face any restrictions and should be a regular in two-receiver sets Sunday while rookie Josh Downs (knee) is active but likely to be available only in a limited capacity.
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Colts' Alec Pierce: Questionable for Germany game
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Pierce (ankle) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Patriots in Frankfurt, Germany.
Pierce wasn't listed on the practice report Wednesday, was limited Thursday, and then got in a full practice Friday. This suggests Pierce suffered a mid-week injury, which is rarely a good sign, though it was promising to see Pierce get in a full day of work Friday. His official status will be known 90 minutes prior to Sunday's 9:30 a.m. ET kickoff.
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Colts' Alec Pierce: Added to injury report
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Pierce was a limited participant at practice Thursday due to an ankle injury.
Pierce practiced fully Wednesday, so his limited activity Thursday is notable, especially with fellow wideout Josh Downs (knee) having yet to practice this week. Both Pierce and Downs will have one more opportunity to upgrade their practice activity ahead of Sunday's game against the Patriots in Frankfurt, Germany.
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Colts' Alec Pierce: Three receptions in loss
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Pierce had three receptions for 41 yards on five targets in Sunday's loss to New Orleans.
Pierce tied his season high in receptions (he has four games with three receptions) which speaks more to how little production he's had this season. He remains a starting receiver and Indy's deep threat, but the Colts haven't targeted him down the field much this season. He has 17 receptions on 30 targets for 243 yards and no touchdowns.
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Colts' Alec Pierce: Ready for Week 7
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Pierce (shoulder) is active for Sunday's game against the Browns.
Pierce left the Colts' Week 6 matchup in the fourth quarter but turned in a full practice Friday. Given that, he should be on the field regularly for Sunday's contest against a tough Cleveland defense. Pierce has yet to record more than three catches or 45 yards in a game this season.
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Colts' Alec Pierce: Full practice, listed as questionable
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Pierce (shoulder) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Browns after practicing fully Friday.
Pierce's ability to log every on-field rep Friday would seem to bode well for his chances of suiting up Sunday, but Nate Atkins of The Indianapolis Star relays via coach Shane Steichen that the wideout's Week 7 status has yet to be determined. If Pierce is limited or out this weekend, Amari Rodgers, Isaiah McKenzie and Juwann Winfree would be candidates to log added WR snaps behind Michael Pittman and Josh Downs.
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Colts' Alec Pierce: Back on field Thursday
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Pierce (shoulder) was present for practice Thursday, Nate Atkins of The Indianapolis Star reports.
Pierce didn't practice Wednesday, so his return to the field a day later offers hope that he could be available Sunday against the Browns. Thursday's injury report will indicate the wideout's official participation level.
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Colts' Alec Pierce: Not practicing Wednesday
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Pierce (shoulder) won't practice Wednesday, Kevin Bowen of 107.5 The Fan Indianapolis reports.
Pierce was forced out of Sunday's loss to the Jaguars with a right shoulder injury, and the wideout's status for this weekend's game against the Browns is uncertain. On Tuesday, the Colts signed Juwann Winfree and added Tyrie Cleveland to their practice squad, which provides added depth to the team's wideout corps in the event Pierce can't play Week 7.
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Colts' Alec Pierce: Just one reception
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Pierce had one reception for 10 yards on two targets in Sunday's win over Tennessee.
Pierce started at wide receiver opposite Michael Pittman but continues to get few targets in the passing game. He's had three receptions or less in every game this season and has had more than three targets once (seven in Week 3), despite significant playing time. Pierce played on 65 of the offense's 66 snaps Sunday.
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Colts' Alec Pierce: Quiet again in Week 2 win
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Pierce secured both targets for 28 yards in the Colts' 31-20 win over the Texans on Sunday.
Pierce's disappointing start to the new campaign continued Sunday, as he was able to only marginally improve on a one-catch, five-yard Week 1 tally. The 2022 second-round pick put together a solid rookie season (41-593-2 across 16 games) that raised expectations coming into the new season, but he's been nothing more than a secondary option in the air attack thus far and has seen rookie Josh Downs outperform him as the No. 3 wideout. Pierce's next opportunity to jump start his season comes in a Week 3 road matchup versus the Ravens.
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Colts' Alec Pierce: Just one reception in season opener
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Pierce had one reception for five yards on three targets in Sunday's loss to Jacksonville.
Pierce started at wide receiver along with Josh Downs and Michael Pittman in a three-WR set and played on 66 of the offense's 72 snaps, but he had little production as Anthony Richardson rarely threw the ball deep. The coaching staff limited the game plan for Richardson in his NFL debut, so the team likely will feature a more vertical passing game later in the season. Pierce may have limited opportunities as a receiver until Richardson throws more long passes as Indy's primary deep threat.
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Colts' Alec Pierce: Held catchless
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Pierce was held without a catch on three targets in Thursday's 27-13 preseason win over the Eagles.
Pierce made the mistake in the first week of the preseason, dropping what would've been a 30-plus yard completion on his lone target. His second game playing with Anthony Richardson didn't go much better, though this time the blame fell on the rookie quarterback for throwing to Pierce when he was blanketed in coverage. Michael Pittman remains the Colts' clear top WR option, but Pierce should be choice B or C ahead of Indy's regular-season opener against Jacksonville on Sept. 10.
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Colts' Alec Pierce: Three receptions in season finale
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Pierce had three receptions for 42 yards on four targets in Sunday's loss to Houston.
Pierce finished his rookie season with 41 receptions on 78 targets for 593 yards and two touchdowns. After failing to catch either of his two targets in his first game, he clicked with Matt Ryan and had 24 receptions for 373 yards and a touchdown over his next six games. He then had just 17 receptions for 220 yards and a touchdown in his last nine games as QB became a revolving door for the Colts. Pierce showed promise but could never clearly move into the No. 2 WR role and had just three red-zone targets despite his 6-3 height. Of course, it's hard to judge Pierce given Indy's troubles at quarterback and poor offensive line play. It's not clear if Pierce will be considered a cornerstone of the Indy receiving corps as the team revamps its offense for 2023.
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Colts' Alec Pierce: Weak production on eight targets
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Pierce caught three passes for 28 yards on eight targets against Philadelphia on Sunday.
Pierce's target count was encouraging, and his weak efficiency is rationalized by the fact that it was a very difficult matchup. Pierce saw a lot of Darius Slay, the top Eagles corner and one of the league's best corners in general. The Steelers don't have any such cover men on their defense, so Pierce has a good chance to get back on track against Pittsburgh in Week 12.
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Colts' Alec Pierce: No receptions Sunday
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Pierce did not have a reception on two targets in Sunday's win at Las Vegas.
Pierce played on 37 of the offense's 64 snaps and notably wasn't a starter (Austin Dulin started in a three-WR set). He had clicked with Matt Ryan earlier in the season, so it would have seemed the move back to Ryan as the starting quarterback would help Pierce. It's possible the coaching change to Jeff Saturday has moved Pierce back in the game plan, meaning this performance can't be entirely written off.
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Colts' Alec Pierce: Leads Colts in receiving yards
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Pierce recorded three receptions on five targets for 65 yards in Sunday's 17-16 loss to the Commanders.
Pierce's line isn't all that impressive on its own, but he made a couple of athletic catches and was regularly targeted deep down the field. His performance was highlighted by a 47-yard catch, the Colts' longest play from scrimmage. While the switch from Matt Ryan to Sam Ehlinger at quarterback could hurt the likes of Michael Pittman and Jonathan Taylor, Pierce is one potential beneficiary due to the relative arm strength of each signal-caller combined with Pierce's role in the offense.
