Following a breakout year in 2023 for Indianapolis Colts’ wide receiver Alec Pierce, what’s next for him as he enters the final year of his rookie deal?

Last season, Pierce was one of the most productive deep threats in the game. On the year, he totaled 824 yards at a hefty 22.3 yards per catch with seven touchdowns.

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Among eligible receivers, Pierce led the league in yards per catch, and his 12 receptions of 20-plus yards on the season were tied for the sixth-most, according to PFF.

Pierce has shown that he can provide a big-play presence in this Colts‘ offense, but in order to take that next step, he will need to show that he can consistently impact other levels of the field as well, and that starts with his route running.

“There was certain things where, as a staff and even as Alec, that he felt like he needed to work on certain routes,” said wide receivers coach Reggie Wayne. “Now, it’s like, alright, let’s keep what you’re great at, let’s keep making sure we’re keeping that sharp and the stuff we need to work on, let’s hammer in on it. That’s kind of what this time is for him, just running certain routes that he always kind of struggled with in the past.”

Of Pierce’s total target share last season, nearly half of them came on downfield pass attempts, which was the second-highest rate of any receiver in football.

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Pierce becoming more crisp on certain routes won’t only allow him to impact the other levels of the field more regularly, but also how he’s able to attack those parts of the field with the routes he’s asked to run.

This, in turn, can not only open up more opportunities for Pierce to get the ball, but it can potentially open up the rest of the offense as well by providing Shane Steichen with added flexibility when it comes to what he asks the receiver unit to do and how he goes after opponents.

“If I’m Alec,” added Wayne, “my mission would be we shouldn’t have to swap and have Pitt run it–I can run it. So for me, that would be my goal if I’m Alec and he’s working on that.”

After a successful 2024 season as a deep threat, Pierce wants to showcase that he can bring a versatile and well-rounded skill set to this Colts’ offense in 2025.

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“The whole offseason had been about getting my body healthy and ready to go for OTAs,” Pierce said recently. “And now OTAs is about me coming out here and just showing the work I put in this offseason. That I can do more things and show the coaches what I can do and show the team and build trust in me that I can be more well rounded and do things to help this offense.”

This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: Reggie Wayne’s goal for Alec Pierce in Year 4 with Indianapolis Colts