The Colts’ 2025 campaign was truly a tale of two halves. The team went from possible Super Bowl contenders to finishing third in the AFC South. Compounding the situation is that Indianapolis doesn’t have its first-round pick, plus has several contributors on expiring contracts. The most valuable of those names is certainly Pierce.
Pierce found his groove this past year, blossoming into one of the better receivers in football. Among receivers with 75 or more targets, he placed 14th in PFF receiving grade (81.0), 14th in yards per route run (2.10) and eighth in passer rating when targeted (113.7). Additionally, his 96.3 deep PFF receiving grade since 2024 ranked second, behind only Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
The Colts have decisions to make on Daniel Jones, Braden Smith, Nick Cross and others, but Pierce was an engine for their improved passing attack. No matter who Indianapolis’ man under center is in 2026, having Pierce back in the fold would be enormous.