AFC Team 'Made It Clear' Potential Patriots Free-Agent Target Will Stay Put
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AFC Team 'Made It Clear' Potential Patriots Free-Agent Target Will Stay Put originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
New England Patriots fans may have to cross a popular free-agent target off their offseason wish list.
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The Patriots may not get the chance to pursue one of the market's premier wide receivers. According to ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler, the Indianapolis Colts intend to keep Alec Pierce.
"The team has made it clear to Pierce that he will be a Colt, either through a tag or a long-term deal, before the new league year," Fowler wrote. "The Colts have work to do to make that happen, but that is the plan."
Indianapolis can keep Pierce for approximately $27.3 million in 2026 by franchise tagging him. Fowler believes Pierce could earn a "massive" free-agent contract worth more than $20 million per season.
However, the Colts have another key offensive player with an expiring contract. Fowler called quarterback Daniel Jones a "prime candidate" to receive the team's tag instead.
The Colts understandably don't want to lose Pierce after watching him collect a career-high 1,003 receiving yards on just 47 catches in 2025. He's averaged an exorbitant 21.75 yards per reception over the last two seasons.
That deep-play prowess would make him a tantalizing target for Drake Maye. Yet the Colts reportedly want to retain Pierce alongside Michael Pittman and breakout tight end Tyler Warren.
New England wouldn't receive an opportunity to court Pierce if he gets tagged or signs an extension before free agency officially opens on March 11.
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