Patriots Would Be Foolish Not To Pursue This Star Free Agent Wide Receiver
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Patriots Would Be Foolish Not To Pursue This Star Free Agent Wide Receiver originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The New England Patriots have plenty of positions to address during free agency: edge, wide receiver, offensive line, linebacker, tight end.
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It’s not going to be easy to check all of those boxes, though...
If the club intends on putting itself in a position to regularly contend, it will have to put together another near-flawless offseason -- which might just include investing in one of the league's budding superstars: Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce.
Let's take a look!
Bio:
Alec Pierce
Position: WR
Height: 6’ 3"
Weight: 211lbs
2026 Age: 26 (May 2, 2000)
2025: 15 G, 47 REC, 1,003 REC YDS, 6 TD
The Patriots should sign Alec Pierce because:
It's the most obvious fit possible...
Pierce is something of a unicorn, as he has been the league leader in yards per reception across each of the last two seasons (22.3 in 2024; 21.3 in 2025), with his 47 receptions last season serving as the fewest to clear 1,000 receiving yards since Philadelphia Eagles head coach DeSean Jackson in 2010.
I'd be willing to bet those numbers improve working alongside Drake Maye.
The Patriots need to make changes at wide receiver -- Kayshon Boutte and Kyle Williams are here to stay, but the future of Stefon Diggs, DeMario Douglas and Mack Hollins all seem to be up in the air entering 2026. If you sign this guy, the focus shifts toward making tight ends and running backs a bigger part of the passing game -- which is what the organization has always thrived doing and the current roster is built to do.
The Patriots should not sign Alec Pierce because:
It's not their only option...
New England is uniquely positioned to make a play for the two wide receivers believed to be on the trade market: the Philadelphia Eagles' A.J. Brown and the Jacksonville Jaguars' Brian Thomas Jr. If they're able to push one of those trades past the finish line, there would be no reason to invest substantial amounts of money into the free agent class' most promising wide receiver.
Best Fits:
1. Indianapolis Colts
2. New England Patriots
3. Las Vegas Raiders
Mike Vrabel, Eliot Wolf and Ryan Cowden, in their first offseason working as a trio, orchestrated an all but flawless plan that fueled the organization's turnaround -- which primarily included the additions of free agents and rookies, with their only trades serving as a means to send players away and not bring them in.
I don't see them waiting things out and relying on their splash move to come in the form of an exchange with someone else, so expect them to make a play.
The Colts already screwed things up by applying the transition tag to quarterback Daniel Jones, freeing up their star wide receiver to test the waters and offer his services to the highest bidder. The Patriots should make sure they're exactly that.
More NFL: Patriots Offseason Preview: Everything Team Must Address In 2026