Free agency can be a time of high-end stress for NFL teams, but it can also be a time to dream for players and fans. So why not entertain the thought of the Seattle Seahawks giving Jaxon Smith-Njigba some help by signing Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce?
As great as JSN was this past season, a Super Bowl-winning year for his team, the rate at which he is targeted compared to the rest of his teammates cannot continue. Defenses will continue to adjust and take Smith-Njigba away. Some other wideout will need to step up, and Seattle might not currently have that player on the roster.
Cooper Kupp is a safe option who has had a terrific career, but he will also be 33 years old when the 2026 season begins. How much longer he plays is in real question.
Seattle Seahawks could pair Jaxon Smith-Njigba with Alec Pierce for superhuman wide receiver group
Rashid Shaheed, a Seahawks hero in the second half of the season after being acquired from the New Orleans Saints in a trade, is a free agent. He has said he wants to return to Seattle, but he might have higher offers elsewhere. That could include him reuniting with his former offensive coordinator, Klint Kubiak, with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Tory Horton was an explosive rookie this past season, but he was injured in his final year of college and was hurt again with Seattle. His long-term health is a concern.
Meanwhile, Pierce, who will almost certainly command a new contract in free agency that pays him potentially as much as $25 million a season, is just beginning to come into his own in the league. He was ill-used by the Colts, and even when he was clearly WR1 for Indy in 2025, the team often gave more targets to Michael Pittman Jr.
Pierce would be an excellent fit with the Seahawks, however. While JSN will still get the majority of targets, he will be helped by Alec Pierce's ability to get open deep consistently. In the past two seasons, the Indy wideout has averaged more than 20 yards a catch, the first player since 1989-90 to do that.
But he is more than a deep threat. He proved this past season that he could run crossing routes, and he would likely be an elite option for teams that throw screen passes, as Seattle is likely to do more of under new offensive coordinator Brian Fleury.
Pierce opposite Jaxon Smith-Njigba would give the Seattle Seahawks the top wide receiver duo in the NFL, though one that could be its most expensive after JSN gets and signs his future contract extension. The duo will be worth the money and put constant fear into the hearts of opposing defensive coordinators.