Feb. 13, 2026, 7:00 a.m. ET<\/p>\n
What is the Indianapolis Colts’<\/a> biggest roster decision this offseason?<\/p>\n Looking at the roster on paper, the answer to that question would be figuring out who the quarterback is going to be — although that doesn’t seem to be much of a question at all. It seems to be a near given that Daniel Jones will return<\/a>.<\/p>\n So instead, PFF’s Bradley Locker<\/a> went in a different direction and focused on free agent wide receiver Alec Pierce, specifically, “how high to bid” on his next contract.<\/p>\n “Pierce developed into a high-end receiver over his four years with the Colts<\/a>, but he\u2019ll now command a deal that could reach over $100 million on the market,” Locker wrote.\u00a0“Indianapolis<\/a>\u00a0also has existing receiving options in\u00a0Tyler Warren<\/a>,\u00a0Josh Downs<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Michael Pittman Jr.<\/a>, all of whom eclipsed a 70.5 receiving grade last year. How far will Chris Ballard be willing to go to keep his free agent?<\/p>\n Pierce has earned himself a big payday after leading the NFL in yards per catch the last two years, along with eclipsing 1,000 receiving yards for the first time in his career in 2025.<\/p>\n Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.<\/a><\/p>\n In addition to that, while known for his vertical presence, Pierce showcased his ability to win routes in a variety of ways and at different levels of the field as well this past year.<\/p>\n PFF is projecting that Pierce will earn a four-year deal worth $96 million.<\/a> Spotrac is projecting that Pierce earns a four-year contract worth $80.99 million<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Colts could use the franchise tag on Pierce to keep him from hitting free agency, which then extends the negotiating window for the two to work out a long-term deal. However, it sounds like it might be Jones who is tagged<\/a>.<\/p>\n The good news for the Colts is that they do seem to be positioned well, salary-cap-wise, this offseason. GM Chris Ballard also seems to have retaining Pierce as one of his offseason priorities.<\/p>\n