Colts Should Not Trade Offensive Playmaker This Offseason.
An analyst has the Indianapolis Colts trading wide receiver Alec Pierce to the Carolina Panthers this offseason.
Colts trade rumors
Alec Pierce is one of the Indianapolis Colts’ top offensive players. With that said, it’s unlikely that the team will trade him this offseason. However, Matthew Schmidt of SI.com has the Colts trading the wide receiver to the Carolina Panthers:
“The Carolina Panthers need to find weapons for Bryce Young in any way possible this offseason, but the problem is that the Panthers don’t have a whole lot of cap room. As a result, Carolina may need to explore creative trades for players still on their rookie contracts, which is why the Panthers may want to place a call to the Indianapolis Colts about Alec Pierce.”
Don’t expect Pierce to be traded to the Panthers or any team for that matter. The Chicago area native is someone the Colts need to hold on to.
The Indianapolis Colts Should Not Trade Alec Pierce This Offseason.
His Career Thus Far
Alec Pierce spent three years with the Cincinnati Bearcats. He caught passes from current Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Desmond Ridder. During his senior year, Pierce had 52 catches for 884 yards and eight touchdowns. He was also named second-team All-American Athletic Conference. He recorded 106 receptions, 1,851 receiving yards, and 12 touchdowns during his collegiate career.
The Colts drafted Pierce in the second round (53rd overall pick) of the 2022 NFL Draft. He caught 41 passes for 593 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie. Expected to take a Year 2 leap, Pierce regressed in 2023, producing 32 receptions, 514 receiving yards, and two touchdowns.
Heading into the 2024 season, many fans and pundits believed Pierce was a bust. However, he proved him wrong, putting together a breakout year. This past season, Pierce caught 37 passes for 824 yards and seven touchdowns. And his impressive 22.3 yards per catch led the NFL.
Why the Colts Shouldn’t Trade Alec Pierce
Again, Alec Pierce is one of the Colts’ top offensive players. He managed to ditch the dreaded “bust” label and change the minds of all his critics.
Pierce is set to become a free agent in 2026. Schmidt wrote that it’s unlikely the Colts will re-sign him:
“It seems relatively unlikely that Indianapolis will re-sign Pierce next offseason, so it may want to trade him now to recoup some assets for him and open up more playing time for Mitchell.”
Sure, it’s possible that the Colts won’t re-sign Pierce, especially if he has a horrible 2025 season. But look for him to continue to improve and have a career year next season.
Pierce, teamed up with Michael Pittman Jr. and Josh Downs gives the Colts an excellent wide receiver group for quarterback Anthony Richardson to throw to. And don’t give up on Adonai Mitchell, who’s coming off a disappointing rookie season. Sometimes it takes a little while for a receiver to develop into an impact player.
Pierce is known as a deep-threat receiver. He can certainly be exciting at times, especially when he’s catching a 60-yard touchdown pass from Richardson, which brings the crowd to their feet. So no, the Colts should not trade Alec Pierce this offseason unless they receive an offer they can’t refuse.
