The Denver Broncos should be looking to improve their wide receiver group in 2026. The team has several young targets for Bo Nix to get the ball to, but they are wildly inconsistent.
The Broncos rewarded No. 1 wide receiver Courtland Sutton with a four-year contract extension this season, but he's about the only "sure thing" at the wide receiver spot for the team. One area in which Nix has greatly struggled during his young career has been throwing the deep ball.
While both Marvin Mims Jr. And Troy Franklin can be terrific downfield targets, Alec Pierce of the Indianapolis Colts generally flies under the radar as one of the best deep-ball receivers in the NFL. He is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent when the new league year opens in March.
Pierce would be a tremendous addition to the Broncos' roster. He is deceptively fast and has a knack for getting open down the field. He tops that off with a tremendous pair of hands. A player like him could be exactly what Nix needs to complete his game.
The trouble with Pierce is that he won't come cheap. Spotrac estimates that a deal for him in 2026 could eclipse $19 million annually. The Broncos may not want to make that kind of investment.
#Broncos CB Riley Moss calls #Colts WR Alec Pierce one of the fastest white WRs in the league. (Or he’s just fast. 😂)
— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) November 12, 2025
AP had four catches for 68 yards — including a 44-yard reception on Moss — in Indy’s Week 2 win over Denver.
“I didn’t even have a chance. He took off.” Https://t.co/UmKZBDtFOP pic.twitter.com/yBR6fgn1Ql
Through 17 games, Pierce leads the NFL this season with an average of 20.3 yards per reception. That is almost three full yards more than the player at No. 2, Calvin Ridley. Pierce also led the NFL in that category last year, averaging 22.3 yards per catch.
For his career, Pierce has caught 153 passes for 2,802 yards and 15 touchdowns. He's not a volume target. He's almost strictly a big-play guy who can help a team instantly flip the field and threaten to put points on the board after just one play.
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He's not going to be the biggest name on the free-agent market and it's likely that the Colts are planning to do whatever they can to keep him away from that market. But if he does become available, the Broncos should be giving him a serious look, as he would greatly improve the team's overall wide receiver group.
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