Things took an ugly turn for the Indianapolis Colts when their wide receiver, Alec Pierce, found himself at the center of a storm. Week 18 could have turned into a career-defining performance for him, capping off his first 1,000-yard season. However, he ended up in the locker room before the buzzer went off, following a controversial ejection against the Texans. Reason? He was reported to have bumped into the field judge in a heated argument, but HC Shane Steichen refused to believe that. 

“Obviously, he was just talking to the official, and they said he bumped into him, and that was a call,” Steichen reflected post-game. “Alec did not mean to do that. His character is top of the line, one of the best dudes on our team. Just an unfortunate situation.”

The controversy stemmed from the third quarter after a pass to Alec Pierce in the end zone fell incomplete. He was nudged out of bounds by opposing defensive back Ja’Marcus Ingram. Frustrated by what felt like an uncalled defensive pass interference, the wide receiver approached field judge Jabir Walker to plead his case. Unfortunately, as he leaned in, his left arm brushed against Walker’s right arm. And he was ejected.

While the NFL has a strict “no contact” rule with the officials, the contact in question gave no impression of being malicious or flagrant. Even CBS color analyst J.J. Watt believed so. If anything, it was accidental; it happened dozens of times in heated moments. Yet, the officials remained firm with their decision to disqualify the 25-year-old. 

“I thought it was PI,” Alec Pierce clarified post-game. “I thought it was pass interference, and I was talking to him about that, and then I guess I bumped him… I just wanted to let them know, like, [I] wasn’t trying to put hands on them or anything. You know, no malicious act.”

Besides being controversial, the ejection also cut short a day where the Colts’ wideout felt unstoppable, recording 132 yards and two touchdowns on just four catches.

With that, Alec Pierce crossed the 1,000-yard threshold for the first time in four years of his career, finishing the season with 1,003 yards. Perhaps his future in Indianapolis isn’t so uncertain. 

Can the Colts afford to let Alec Pierce walk away?

In 2025, Pierce had entered the final year of his rookie contract with the Colts. He’s expected to enter the 2026 market as an unrestricted free agent. The Colts will enter the 2026 season with $54 million in cap space, but a significant portion of that could be tied up in re-signing quarterback Daniel Jones, with a projected cost of $35 million. With wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. also a potential cap casualty and the possibility of saving $24 million by cutting him, the Colts will have to make tough decisions on where to allocate their resources. Re-signing Pierce, especially with his projected value of $20-22 million, could become a luxury unless the team clears additional space through cuts or restructures.

However, given the way he has performed for the past two seasons, it’s unlikely that the front office will let him go. If there was any solace for their 8-9 season, it was the performance of fourth-year WR Pierce, who led the NFL in yards per reception for the second consecutive year with 21.3 yards per catch in 2025, cementing his place as one of the league’s top deep threats. He’s also the first player since Flipper Anderson in 1989 and 1990 to average over 20 yards per catch on at least 35 receptions in back-to-back seasons… glaring proof of his explosive playmaking ability.

Even head coach Steichen hinted at a long, bright future, despite the uncertainty of Alec Pierce’s current contract situation. 

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“He’s made huge strides for us,” Steichen said. “The way he goes up and makes plays for us week in and week out, the contested catches, the one-on-ones, the double moves, [and] the deep crossing routes. It’s been tremendous. Obviously, you score points in this league, and you hit the explosive plays, and he’s a huge part of that all year doing that for us.”

Steichen’s comments make it clear: the locker room and the coaching staff want Alec Pierce back. Currently, he’s projected to land in the range of $20-22 million, according to The Ringer‘s Austin Gayle. But there’s a good chance that it may just be a starting point in the negotiations.