Alec Pierce

Alec Matthew Pierce (born May 2, 2000) is an American professional football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Cincinnati Bearcats before the Colts selected him in the second round of the 2022 NFL draft.

Early life Pierce grew up in Glen Ellyn, Illinois and attended Glenbard West High School, where he played football, volleyball, basketball and ran track. His father, Greg Pierce, was a former tight end who played collegiately at Northwestern University.

As a senior, Alec caught 25 passes for 372 yards and five touchdowns with three sacks and four interceptions on defense and was named the Most Valuable Player of the West Suburban Conference Silver Division. Pierce was rated a three-star recruit and committed to play college football at Cincinnati over scholarship offers from 17 other programs.

College career Pierce played mostly on special teams as a true freshman. He practiced at linebacker ahead of the team's appearance in the Military Bowl but ultimately did not play at that position. As a sophomore Pierce caught 37 passes for a team-high 652 yards and two touchdowns. He missed four games of his junior season due to a knee injury and finished the year with 17 receptions for 315 yards and three touchdowns. As a senior, Pierce caught 52 passes for 884 yards and eight touchdowns and was named second-team All-American Athletic Conference.

Statistics Season Team GP Receiving Rec Yds Avg Lng TD 2018 Cincinnati 4 0 0 0.0 0 0 2019 Cincinnati 12 37 652 17.6 52 2 2020 Cincinnati 6 17 315 18.5 45 3 2021 Cincinnati 14 52 884 17.0 53 8 Career 36 106 1,851 17.5 53 13

Professional career

Pierce was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the second round with the 53rd overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft. On October 16, Pierce caught his first career touchdown in the Week 6 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Colts won the game 34–27. Pierce posted his best NFL game on NBC Sunday Night Football, notching team-highs in catches (four) and receiving yards (86) while adding his second-career touchdown. He finished his rookie season with 41 receptions for 593 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns.

In Week 14 of the 2023 season against the Tennessee Titans, Pierce enjoyed his first career 100–yard game. He opened the game with a 36-yard touchdown on Indianapolis' first possession, and finished with 100 yards and a touchdown on six receptions. Pierce finished the season as the Colts' third-leading receiver with 32 catches for 514 yards and two touchdowns.

In Week 1 of the 2024 season, Pierce had three receptions for 125 yards and a touchdown in a 29–27 loss to the Houston Texans. In a Week 5 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, he had three receptions for 134 yards and a touchdown. In Week 17 against the New York Giants, Pierce recorded six receptions for 122 yards. In the 2024 season, he had 37 receptions for 824 yards and seven touchdowns.

Pierce made 15 appearances (14 starts) for Indianapolis during the 2025 season, logging 47 receptions for 1,003 yards and six touchdowns. His 47 receptions were the fewest to clear 1,000 yards since DeSean Jackson did so in 2010.

On March 12, 2026, Pierce re-signed with the Colts on a four-year, $114 million contract.

NFL career statistics LegendLed the leagueBoldCareer high

Personal life Both of Pierce's parents were athletes at Northwestern University, with his father playing football and his mother playing volleyball. His younger brother, Caden Pierce, plays college basketball, set to play for Purdue in 2026. Another brother, Justin, played college basketball at William & Mary and North Carolina and currently plays professionally in Europe.