Alec Pierce Bio
Alec Matthew Pierce is an American professional football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). Standing 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) and playing at 211 lb (96 kg), he is listed as the Colts’ number 14 and has developed into one of the team’s most dependable perimeter targets. After playing his college ball at the University of Cincinnati, he entered the NFL as a second-round pick in 2022 and has steadily built a reputation as a long-striding downfield receiver.
Across his first four professional seasons, Pierce has appeared in regular rotation for the Colts, posting consistent production as both a vertical threat and a chain-mover. His combination of size, frame, and straight-line speed has made him a favored option in the team’s intermediate and deep passing game. By the end of the 2025 season, his career totals already rank among the more productive second-round receiver debuts in recent Colts history.
Early Life and Background
Alec Matthew Pierce was born on May 2, 2000, in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. He grew up in the same Chicago suburb and attended Glenbard West High School, where he was a multi-sport athlete. At Glenbard West, Pierce played football, volleyball, basketball, and ran track, demonstrating the kind of broad athletic base that has carried into his professional profile as a wide receiver.
Pierce comes from a strong athletic family. His father, Greg Pierce, was a former tight end who played college football at Northwestern University, and both of Alec’s parents were athletes at Northwestern. His younger brother, Caden Pierce, plays college basketball and is set to play for Purdue in 2026, while another brother, Justin, played college basketball at William & Mary and North Carolina and currently plays professionally in Europe.
As a senior at Glenbard West, Pierce caught 25 passes for 372 yards and five touchdowns while also contributing on defense with three sacks and four interceptions. He was named the Most Valuable Player of the West Suburban Conference Silver Division. Rated a three-star recruit, he committed to play college football at Cincinnati over scholarship offers from seventeen other programs.
Path to American Football
Pierce’s path to professional football began on the prep fields of Glen Ellyn, where his frame and speed stood out early. His father’s background as a college tight end at Northwestern gave him an inside view of what was required to compete at higher levels, and his success in multiple sports at Glenbard West confirmed his athletic ceiling. By the end of high school, he had drawn scholarship offers from a wide swath of college programs.
He chose Cincinnati as the best fit for his development, joining a Bearcats program on the rise. Pierce committed over offers from seventeen other schools, a sign that programs around the country saw long-term potential in his combination of length, vertical ability, and competitive toughness. That recruitment set the stage for his move into the Football Bowl Subdivision ranks and, eventually, the NFL.
Alec Pierce Career
Early Career (2018–2021)
Pierce played his college football at the University of Cincinnati from 2018 through 2021, joining a Bearcats program that was emerging as a Group of Five powerhouse. He spent his true freshman year contributing mostly on special teams, practicing at linebacker ahead of Cincinnati’s Military Bowl appearance even though he ultimately did not play on defense in the game. The experience helped him adjust to the speed and structure of college football while he waited for a larger offensive role.
As a sophomore, Pierce broke out as a pass-catcher, recording 37 receptions for a team-high 652 yards and two touchdowns. He missed four games of his junior year because of a knee injury and finished that season with 17 receptions for 315 yards and three touchdowns. In his senior campaign, he led the way with 52 catches for 884 yards and eight touchdowns and was named Second-team All-American Athletic Conference, cementing his status as an NFL prospect.
NFL Breakthrough with the Indianapolis Colts (2022–2023)
The Indianapolis Colts selected Pierce in the second round with the 53rd overall pick of the 2022 NFL draft. He made an early impression as a rookie, catching his first career touchdown on October 16 against the Jacksonville Jaguars in a 34–27 Colts victory. Later that season, on NBC Sunday Night Football, he posted team-highs in catches (four) and receiving yards (86) while adding his second career touchdown, finishing his rookie year with 41 receptions for 593 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns.
Pierce’s second NFL season, 2023, marked his arrival as a true downfield weapon. In Week 14 against the Tennessee Titans, he produced his first career 100-yard receiving game, opening the contest with a 36-yard touchdown on Indianapolis’ first possession and finishing with 100 yards and a score on six catches. He closed the year as the Colts’ third-leading receiver with 32 catches for 514 yards and two touchdowns.
Indianapolis Colts Era (2024–Present)
Pierce’s role expanded further in 2024. In the season opener against the Houston Texans, he had three receptions for 125 yards and a touchdown in a 29–27 loss. He added three receptions for 134 yards and a score in a Week 5 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, then recorded six receptions for 122 yards in Week 17 against the New York Giants. He finished 2024 with 37 receptions for 824 yards and seven touchdowns, establishing new career highs in both yards and scores.
He carried that momentum into 2025, making 15 appearances with 14 starts for Indianapolis and logging 47 receptions for 1,003 yards and six touchdowns. His 47 catches to clear 1,000 receiving yards were the fewest to reach that milestone since DeSean Jackson did so in 2010. On March 12, 2026, Pierce re-signed with the Colts on a four-year, $114 million contract, locking in his place as a long-term centerpiece of the offense.
Driving Style and Strengths
Pierce is at his best as a vertical and intermediate receiver, using his 6 ft 3 in frame to win contested catches and stress defenses down the sideline. He has shown the ability to separate on deep routes and to track the ball effectively on throws outside the numbers, complementing a more possession-oriented group of pass-catchers around him. His steady growth in target share and red-zone usage reflects the coaching staff’s increasing trust in his route craft and finishing ability.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among his signature moments, Pierce’s first career 100-yard game against the Titans in 2023 stands out, highlighted by his opening 36-yard touchdown. His 2025 campaign, which featured a 1,000-yard season achieved on only 47 receptions, ranks as one of the most efficient deep-threat seasons in recent league history and set the stage for his record-setting contract extension in March 2026.
Alec Pierce Career Wins
While individual award totals for Pierce are not fully documented in available sources, his statistical growth tells the story of a player who has consistently produced at a high level. Through the 2025 season, he has recorded 157 receptions for 2,934 receiving yards and 17 receiving touchdowns, with his yardage and touchdown totals rising in every season since his rookie year.
NFL Highlights
Pierce’s first NFL touchdown came in Week 6 of the 2022 season against the Jacksonville Jaguars. His first 100-yard game followed in Week 14 of the 2023 season against the Tennessee Titans. His first 1,000-yard season came in 2025, when he set a new personal best with 1,003 receiving yards and finished with 47 receptions and six touchdowns.
Other Performances
At the college level, Pierce’s senior season at Cincinnati produced 52 receptions for 884 yards and eight touchdowns, earning him Second-team All-American Athletic Conference honors and helping establish him as one of the top Group of Five receivers in the 2022 draft class.
Alec Pierce Family
Family Background and Athletic Lineage
Pierce’s family has deep ties to Northwestern University athletics. His father, Greg Pierce, was a tight end who played college football at the school, and both of his parents were athletes at Northwestern. This multi-sport, multi-generational athletic background helped shape his development as a competitive, multi-sport athlete in his own right.
Personal Life
Alec has continued the family’s athletic tradition in the next generation. His younger brother, Caden Pierce, plays college basketball and is set to play for Purdue in 2026, while another brother, Justin, played college basketball at William & Mary and North Carolina and currently plays professionally in Europe. Pierce remains based in Indianapolis as a member of the Colts.
2025 Season Performance
Pierce’s 2025 campaign represented his clearest breakthrough as a top-tier NFL receiver. Appearing in 15 games with 14 starts, he set career highs across the board, finishing with 47 receptions for 1,003 yards and six touchdowns. The efficiency of his production was historic: his 47 catches to eclipse 1,000 receiving yards marked the fewest receptions needed to hit that benchmark since DeSean Jackson in 2010.
His usage on intermediate and deep routes continued to expand throughout the year, and he became a reliable target in critical down-and-distance situations. The Colts leaned on his size and tracking ability to attack defenses that committed extra resources to stopping the run and the short passing game, opening up opportunities for chunk plays on the outside.
Following the season, Pierce’s future in Indianapolis was secured when, on March 12, 2026, he re-signed with the Colts on a four-year, $114 million contract. The deal reflected both his 2025 production and his projected role as a long-term building block for the franchise, giving him stability as he enters the prime of his career.
