Alec Pierce Readying For New No. 1 Wide Receiver Role
- Pierce believes he can be a No. 1 receiver, with increased targets and receptions.
- His deep-ball ability has earned respect, so he expects more short and intermediate passes.
- Colts are counting on Pierce to make up for Pittman's production from last year.
INDIANAPOLIS – Alec Pierce knows what the new contract means.
Since the days of T.Y. Hilton leading the NFL in receiving yards, there’s been a rather annual debate on if the Colts have a “true No. 1 wideout?”
That debate picked up steam last year as Michael Pittman Jr. had some ups and downs, heading into the final year of an expensive contract. Conversely, Alec Pierce showed key growth entering his own contract year.
As Pierce played the free agency media game earlier this month, with the open market approaching, he was very expansive when acknowledging the responsibilities that come with the contract on the horizon.
“I think it’s something I really believe I can do and I think it’s something I really haven’t had the chance to do,” Pierce told Kay Adams of being a No. 1 wideout.
“You can extrapolate my targets (84), there’s not many receivers who have gotten 1,000 yards on under 100 targets and I had 84. I think you take those numbers, what’s a No. 1 receiver get targets wise (130-150)? You basically double my targets, I’m setting the (receiving) record.”
“That’s what I’m most excited about getting paid and getting a big contract. The coaches and the front office know that they have to back up that contract so I’m no longer going to be an 80-target player. If I get paid this big contract, they are going to have throw me the ball more and give me more things. A lot of times, the stuff I was doing was downfield and pretty low percentage type stuff. That was the nature of our offense. And we understood, we talked about it. The more short game, the more intermediate game, that’s probably a little bit easier completions, that type of stuff is going to be stuff I’m going to take on a larger portion now. I’m kind of projected towards doing that. Because you have to justify paying a receiver all this money and you can’t be a guy that’s catching two balls a game.”
Pierce did show some examples last season of being a wideout capable of doing more than just hitting a couple home runs each game.
While that deep ball attribute to Pierce is extremely coveted, he’s spot on in knowing the sheer quantity of his catches will need to rise now.
“Being the number No. 1, that’s something that I know I can do, I believe in it,” Pierce said after resigning with the Colts. “And the opportunity is now, and it’s there for me to take it. That’s going to be something that I knew was going to come with getting this type of contract, and that was probably the biggest thing I was excited about. The money and all that is great, but I know with that comes the opportunities and like the chances to get more balls thrown to you and just affect the game even more.”
Opportunities for Pierce to do some of the more routine underneath receiving should be there.
That’s a credit to him already sending a message to the rest of the NFL that you better be prepared for his deep ball ability.
So if opposing defensive backs are showing too much respect in defending Pierce over the top, then the ability to stop on a dime and catch more of those comeback balls/back shoulder throws is going to be there.
For now, the Colts appear content to believe in Pierce, get continued support from Josh Downs and Tyler Warren to make up for Pittman’s 80 catches from last year exiting, rather than signing a notable veteran wideout.
And Pierce certainly knows that’s now expected from him.
