Alec Pierce Emerges In Important Third Season
Source: Ed Mulholland / Getty
INDIANAPOLIS – When you are talking about Colts positives from the 2024 season, he’s undeniably on the list.
And it came at a critical point of his NFL career.
In leading the NFL with 22.3 yards per catch last year, Alec Pierce definitely took a step in the right direction with his play last season.
The big plays were there—7 touchdowns catches and an NFL-best 82.5 percent of receptions going for first downs.
More than that, the timing of Pierce’s impact often came in the game’s most critical moments.
Of Pierce’s 37 catches last season, 20 came in the 4th quarter/overtime.
Motivation was felt towards Pierce when the Colts drafted AD Mitchell in Round 2.
Pierce uses the word “comfortable” to describe that feeling, meaning he is someone that has always been used to real competition, so having that alive in his NFL receiver room struck a chord.
“Competition has always been, ever since I started playing football, once it got serious, varsity level, I’ve always been in a position of competition when I’ve had a person there pushing me,” Pierce said at the end of his 824-yard, 7-touchdown campaign.
“I think (the Mitchell draft pick) brought a whole level of comfort just knowing that I have someone on my heels trying to take my spot. It brought that comfort because it’s the same thing that happened in college, I was always battling for a spot.”
In Year 3, Pierce showed he’s not strictly a guy that you chuck it down field too—which is an important weapon—and hope he comes down with it (or draws a pass interference penalty).
Rounding out the route tree was a focus for Pierce entering this past season, and he offered much more of that compared to his first two seasons.
“Really improved,” Shane Steichen said of Pierce’s 2024 campaign. “I’ll tell you what, the plays he made down the field, big time in clutch moments for us this year, awesome (year for Pierce).”
A contract year now awaits the former 2nd round pick out of Cincinnati.
Building off a step in the right direction in Year 3 would lead to a welcomed pay day for one of the NFL’s best deep threats.
