Alec Pierce has proven this season that he's worthy of keeping around for the Indianapolis Colts.
But as an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, Pierce will have plenty of suitors.
How much can Indy offer? And how much does Pierce want? Those questions will go a long way toward determining his NFL future.
The big and athletic wide receiver has set himself up for a strong payday.
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ESPN's Stephen Holder broke it down in a new article on Tuesday. It's a confusing one for Colts fans, because there are essentially two sides to this coin, and it's not clear which side will land facing up just yet.
"It's not accurate to call this (extension) a sure thing because Pierce, who leads the NFL in yards per catch (20.1), is likely to get robust interest as an unrestricted free agent this spring," Holder wrote. "But he loves playing for Indianapolis and has developed a bond with quarterback Daniel Jones, who is expected to be re-signed despite tearing his Achilles last week. Pierce has shown great development this season, expanding his game well beyond his renowned deep routes. Determining his value, however, will be challenging because of the high price of recent receiver deals."
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The Jones injury did change things a bit. The Colts went from knowing what their QB future looked like to being quite a bit less certain.
Jones seems likely to miss the start of next season, and there's no guarantee he's fully right even when he returns from the injury.
Pierce, though, proved even this past Sunday with Philip Rivers that he can be a dangerous weapon for an offense. No matter who the Colts have at QB, Pierce seems worth keeping around, if the price is right.
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