Heading into this season, many fans and experts labeled Alec Pierce a bust. The young Indianapolis Colts wide receiver has had a disappointing start to his NFL career. Yet, through two games this year, it’s looking like he’s on his way to a breakout season.
Pierce has been one of the few bright spots for the Colts, who are off to a lousy 0-2 start. He was spectacular during the Week 1 loss to the Houston Texans. In that game, he recorded 125 receiving yards and a touchdown. His 60-yard touchdown catch was hands-down the league’s best play during Week 1. Pierce also had a 57-yard reception that eventually set up a touchdown. He caught five passes for 56 yards and a touchdown in the Week 2 loss to the Green Bay Packers. While it wasn’t as great as his performance against Houston, it was still a solid outing. Is this the year that he finally ditches the “bust” label and produces?
Former Colts Second-Round Pick is Primed for Breakout Season
Alec Pierce’s Career
Alec Pierce played college football with the Cincinnati Bearcats, catching passes from current Arizona Cardinals QB Desmond Ridder. During his senior year, he caught 52 passes for 884 yards and eight touchdowns. For his efforts, he was named second-team All-American Athletic Conference. Pierce produced 106 receptions, 1,851 receiving yards, and 12 touchdowns during his college career.
The Colts drafted Pierce in the second round (53rd overall pick) of the 2022 NFL Draft. He caught 41 passes for 593 yards and two TDs as a rookie. He was expected to take a leap in Year 2. However, his numbers dropped last season as he recorded just 32 catches, 514 receiving yards, and two touchdowns. Pierce, however, came up with his first career 100-yard game in 2023. The suburban Chicago native caught three passes for 100 yards and a TD in the win over the Tennessee Titans.
Will He Finally Emerge as a Go-To Receiver?
This can certainly be a breakout season for Alec Pierce. But the health of Anthony Richardson is a major factor in that happening. The Colts quarterback has barely played with Pierce. He was limited to just four games last year, but he has been healthy so far this season.
Pierce is a deep-threat receiver, meaning he needs to play with a quarterback who has a cannon for an arm. That’s exactly what Richardson possesses. Since Pierce joined the Colts, he has played with quarterbacks like Matt Ryan and Gardner Minshew, who can’t throw it as far as Richardson can. Colts wide receiver coach Reggie Wayne spoke about that (via Mike Chappell of fox59.com)
“I mean no disrespect to Matt Ryan and I mean no disrespect to Gardner Minshew, but you’ve got Anthony, who can throw it that far, right? Not very many quarterbacks that can throw it that far. We’ve got one of the guys that can do it.”
Again, if Alec Pierce wants a breakout year, he needs Richardson to avoid the injury bug. That has been the case thus far, and look for Pierce to continue to produce throughout the 2024 campaign.
Main Photo Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
