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It could become that much harder for Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes to get a top explosive weapon in free agency.
Given how this past season went, the Kansas City Chiefs will have to make the right moves in free agency to improve. Simply running things back and adding a nice 2026 NFL Draft class won’t be enough to return to the mountaintop.
The tricky part, however, is resources. General manager Brett Veach has a finite amount of them, particularly pertaining to the salary cap. Although Kansas City can restructure deals and make room, the franchise is currently in one of the worst financial spots in the league.
Barring significant shuffling and kicking the proverbial tin can down the road, there may not be much big-fish hunting. Add in a recent development regarding a top free agent, and it’s bad news.
Potential Alec Pierce Bidding War Is Bad News for Chiefs
On February 7, it was reported that the Dallas Cowboys were expected to franchise tag wide receiver George Pickens. Unless he’s traded, that likely means he’s staying in D-Town for at least the 2026-27 season. It also takes a premier wideout off the open market, thus increasing demand elsewhere.
Indianapolis Colts receiver Alec Pierce, for example, could be impacted in a good way. Spotrac co-founder Michael Ginnitti believes his market is now booming, making a potential Chiefs signing that much more difficult to achieve.
“With George Pickens off of the market, Pierce vaults to the top of the WR list, which likely means a bidding war puts his price closer to $30M than $20M,” Ginnitti’s tweet began. “The Colts may ultimately just decide to slap the $28M tag on him first.”
With George Pickens off of the market, Pierce vaults to the top of the WR list, which likely means a bidding war puts his price closer to $30M than $20M. The Colts may ultimately just decide to slap the $28M tag on him first. https://t.co/2SpO2ANWIR
— Spotrac (@spotrac) February 13, 2026
If the Chiefs have interest in Pierce, they’ll have to bring a Brink’s truck with them. Back in December, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler predicted such an acquisition. Pro Football Focus‘ projection for Pierce’s free agency has him landing a four-year pact worth $24M per season. Over The Cap, perhaps far too optimistically, has him valued at $18.6M. It’s important to note that the latter isn’t a prediction, though.
At any rate, a bidding war or anything resembling one isn’t good for Veach. He simply doesn’t have the ability to give Pierce the type of payday Ginnitti hinted at.
Can Kansas City Benefit From Adding Pierce in Offseason?
That doesn’t mean we can’t discuss Pierce’s free agent candidacy, still. The 2022 second-round pick led the sport in yards per reception in consecutive years, and his 2025-26 effort was his best yet.
In 15 regular-season games, Pierce recorded 1,003 yards on 84 targets, both career-highs. While his 47 receptions were also a personal best, that lack of target-to-catch correlation underscored the boom-or-bust nature of his profile. Pierce averaged a staggering 17.6 yards before catch per reception, serving as a premier vertical threat.
According to SumerSports, Pierce ranked 14th among all wideouts with 87.69 total EPA accumulated. Out of everyone in that group above him, he had by far the lowest catch total and also also finished dead last in target share. His 18.96-yard average depth of target paced the field.
Speaking of which, if the Chiefs have any interest in Pierce, it’d potentially be as a replacement for what Tyquan Thornton brought on offense. The reclamation project had a video game-like 26.89 ADOT, paired with 40.05 EPA on just 19 receptions. He’s interested in a potential reunion with Kansas City, but only if things align correctly on the snap and role fronts.
Veterans Marquise “Hollywood” Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster are both free agents, just like Thornton. 2025 NFL Draft pick Jalen Royals did next to nothing in his debut campaign. The Chiefs hope 2024 first-rounder Xavier Worthy can make a leap in his third season, but he battled injury and inconsistently in recent months. Even Rashee Rice, the best receiver on the team, has his warts.
There’s no denying that the Chiefs would benefit from adding someone like Pierce. At this juncture, though, it may not be very realistic.
Jordan Foote is a seasoned sports writer who covers the NFL for Heavy.com with an emphasis on the Kansas City Chiefs, New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers. He has years of experience publishing NFL and MLB content for Sports Illustrated’s On SI vertical, in addition to a background in NBA coverage for multiple outlets. Foote is a Baker University alumnus, earning his degree in Mass Media. He’s based in Kansas City. More about Jordan Foote
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