Just like almost every offseason for the last decade or so, the Patriots were clearly in need of a true top wide receiver to boost their offense and give Drake Maye the kind of talent to make his job much easier on game day.
The quarterback had a bit of that in 2025 with Stefon Diggs at the top of the depth chart, but with his release ahead of free agency, finding his replacement became the main priority. That put the Patriots in the conversation for every top name free agent or rumored trade candidate, including Colts' young star Alec Pierce.
He immediately became the frontrunner to sign in the eyes of fans, largely due to his potential after an impressive season in which he recorded over 1,000 receiving yards for the first time in his career and because he is only 26 years old.
That means he could develop and grow alongside Maye, and they could become a lethal duo for years to come.
It seemed like the most likely scenario based on the other options the Patriots could have considered, most notably a trade for A.J. Brown. But ultimately, they were never given the chance to even talk to Pierce, as he signed a new deal with the Colts during the legal tampering period at the start of free agency.
It looked like a massive miss for New England and created a lot of doubt for fans who couldn't envision any other free agent fitting what the receiving corps needed.
However, Pierce's offseason has been far from ideal for him and the Colts, and, based on the latest injury updates and his return timeline, it's beyond clear the Patriots dodged a massive mistake.
Alec Pierce's ongoing injury is the latest proof that the Patriots didn't miss out
After signing a massive four-year, $114 million deal in the spring, Pierce elected to have ankle surgery to deal with a lingering issue stemming from the 2024 season.
That has kept him away from all offseason activities and practices, which is far from ideal with the preseason right around the corner. To make matters worse, he stated nearly two weeks ago that he would be able to participate in training camp in just a few days, and from what his head coach had to say over the weekend, that's clearly not happening.
On top of that, the receiver was noticeably walking gingerly on the practice field this past weekend, seemingly confirming that his return is no closer than it probably was late last month.
Given that there is no timetable for his return, according to head coach Shane Steichen, it's a disastrous scenario for the Patriots that they could not have afforded at this stage in the offseason had they signed him instead.
And although he could return ahead of Week 1, he would have had a lot of catching up to do with his new quarterback and offensive coordinator, and that would have likely put off his return even more.
That might not be something the Colts are exactly worried about on their roster, but the Patriots couldn't afford to lose their top wide receiver ahead of a very rough opening month of the season, starting with a Super Bowl rematch in Seattle.
It was already deemed unfavorable to not get Brown until the start of June, meaning he missed all of spring practices and would have less time to acclimate to the team and its historically difficult playbook. But his veteran understanding of the game has made the transition easy, so waiting to make the trade official has proven unproblematic.
He's also lived up to the hype already, as we've seen the connection between Brown and Maye look nearly unstoppable over the past few weeks.
That's a major bonus to being patient, whereas they could be in the complete opposite situation had they signed Pierce instead. It's just another reason to be thankful for Brown, which is almost unbelievable, and there are more reasons to be excited about his first season in New England.
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