New England Patriots fans have seen Drake Maye ascend from promising young quarterback to shortlist MVP contender in his second NFL campaign. What he's been doing in 2025 has been nothing short of outstanding, especially given the non-intimidating, albeit respectable, supporting cast around him.
Maye can use a dynamic weapon, preferably one that maximizes his exceptional arm talent/strength and playmaking ability. Fortunately, an ideal prospective target is set to become available this offseason and the Patriots have the resources to add him: Alec Pierce.
Pierce is breaking out in the final season of his rookie contract with the Indianapolis Colts. He's reportedly set to earn a massive payday, one that ESPN's Jeremy Fowler suggests could price him out of their range.
"Teams I've talked to anticipate Pierce will hit a big number in free agency," Fowler wrote. "They think the $20 million per year threshold isn't out of the question for him."
New England has the funds to make things uncomfortable, and they certainly should.
Patriots have the means to pry breakout WR Alec Pierce from Colts
The Colts "appear all-in" on Daniel Jones, who's also on an expiring pact, as their franchise signal-caller, per Fowler. With that in mind, there may only be so much money for Pierce in Indy, which isn't a problem in Foxborough.
New England currently projects to have the 10th-most cap space in 2026, slightly ahead of the Colts, who come in at 13th. So, the Pats can win a bidding war to pry Pierce away from the AFC South leaders, and his fit with Maye justifies doing so.
As Fowler highlights, Pierce has "the size/speed combination teams covet." That archetype is ideal for Maye, who's become among the best when it comes to letting it fly, which the numbers bear out.
Here's a look at Maye's stats on throws that travel between 10-19 and 20 yards in the air, repsectively, through Week 10. Moreover, let's see his ranking in each metric out of 42 passers with at least 50 dropbacks this season.
Drake Maye Passes That Travel 10-19 Yards In Air | Drake Maye Passes That Travel 20 Yards in Air |
|---|---|
49 completions (first) | 20 completions (tied for first) |
120.3 passer rating (ninth) | 129.5 passer rating (third) |
Five TDs (tied for fourth) | Six TDs (tied for third) |
Five hero throws (tied for third) | 10 hero throws (tied for sixth) |
835 yards (first) | 652 yards (fourth) |
Note: Stats courtesy of Fantasy Points' data suite ($).
Deeper, longer-developing concepts are Pierce's strong suit. He ranks near the top of the league in yards per route run on comebacks, ins/digs, outs and of course, go balls (minimum 50 routes run). His skill set aligns spectacularly with the areas of the field Maye likes to attack.
Maye is making lemonade out of lemons with less-heralded wide receivers like Demario Douglas, Kayshon Boutte and Mack Hollins. Four-time Pro Bowler Stefon Diggs is a proven alpha, though his snaps have been limited suffering a torn ACL roughly a year ago. Veteran tight end Hunter Henry is also reliable security blanket, but not necessarily a difference-maker.
Nevertheless, Pierce is football's premier deep threat. He's pacing to lead the league in yards per reception for a second straight year; just imagine his ceiling with Maye.