New England Patriots
“I’m not paying $30 million for someone to run go routes.”
Alec Pierce would be a big-play weapon for the Patriots moving forward. (AP Photo/Zach Bolinger)
March 8, 2026 | 5:56 PM
2 minutes to read
The New England Patriots are in need of a new top target for Drake Maye — especially after cutting ties with Stefon Diggs.
Alec Pierce could be an appealing option for the Patriots on the free-agent market. The 25-year-old Colts wideout would seemingly mesh perfectly with a Maye-led offense in Foxborough due to his big-play capabilities.
Pierce led the NFL in yards per catch during both the 2024 (22.3) and 2025 (21.3) seasons with Indy — closing out last year with 47 catches for 1,003 yards and six touchdowns.
After reeling in deep balls from the likes of Daniel Jones, Joe Flacco, Anthony Richardson, and Philip Rivers over the last few years in Indy, Pierce could thrive as a featured player paired with Maye.
But, he won’t come cheap.
Given his age and production, Pierce is expected to command a hefty salary out on the free-agent market. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler predicted the explosive wideout will get paid at least $27 million per year on his new deal.
New England is projected to have more than $50 million in cap space after cutting ties with Diggs this offseason, so they could absorb a steep cap hit for Pierce. But, with several other areas of the depth chart in need of an upgrade, the Patriots also can’t allocate all of their cap space toward one player.
Count former Patriots wideout Chris Hogan among those weary about giving Pierce such a sizable contract this spring.
“I’m not paying $30 million for someone to run go routes,” Hogan said on “The Patriots Report” podcast with The Boston Globe’s Christopher Price. “If you’re gonna come in and you’re gonna be able to be multiple [roles] in this offense and be able to run the different type of routes and get open versus press, and get open versus man and run slants and curls, and make the contested catches across the middle of the field — not just over routes and deep routes and posts.
“Kid’s a very talented receiver. Now, I could be totally wrong in saying this. Maybe he can do those things, and he just wasn’t featured in Indianapolis’ offense. That could be a thing, too. Maybe they bring him for a workout and have a different perspective on what he’s able to do.”
Pierce’s strength lies in his ability to reel in deep passes. But he could also be primed to step into a heavier role on a new team — with a team like the Patriots utilizing his speed and frame (6-foot-3) as a weapon on crossers, curls, and other routes.
There would be plenty of risk involved in handing Pierce a contract worth over $100 million. In some respects, it’d be similar to the Patriots signing Milton Williams — a rotational player on the Eagles’ stout defensive line — to a major contract in hopes he’d thrive in a featured role.
That move paid off last offseason for New England. Time will tell if they have the stomach to replicate that move on the offensive side of the ball with a free-agent target like Pierce.
Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.
Sign up for the Today newsletter
Get everything you need to know to start your day, delivered right to your inbox every morning.
