The Denver Broncos have made mistakes in free agency before, like every other NFL team. If you include the Russell Wilson trade, Denver's decision to make that move back in 2022 has gone down in NFL history as one of the worst trades ever.
But even in terms of signing players, the Broncos have whiffed. Randy Gregory was a player Denver signed to a five-year deal, and it almost instantly failed. Fortunately, Denver has made a ton of high-end free agency moves in recent years like signing Zach Allen and Talanoa Hufanga.
It's another offseason for Denver to hopefully make the right free agency decisions. However, there are some notable players on the market who may make sense for some teams, but do not at all make sense for the Broncos. In fact, Denver has 81 million reasons to stay away from this free agent who happens to play a massive position of need.
Alec Pierce's market value and skillset make no sense for the Denver Broncos at WR
According to Spotrac, Alec Pierce's market value this offseason is a four-year deal worth nearly $81 million, which comes out to over $20 million per season. This would be a massive mistake if the Broncos front office were to make this exact deal.
Not only is Pierce not a no. 1 wide receiver, but he's kind of a one-trick pony. He's led the NFL in yards per reception in each of the past two seasons, but that's all he really offers besides blocking. Pierce can get downfield well, and better than just about everyone, but he's not the caliber of player Denver needs. Like Courtland Sutton, Pierce is best-suited as a high-end no. 2 receiver. In 2024, Pierce caught just 47 passes but did finish with 1,003 yards and six touchdowns.
Pierce has only caught 53 percent of his career targets. In 2025, he had just two games with at least 100 receiving yards and another five games with fewer than 50 yards. He also had 42.9 percent of his total 2025 receiving yardage across just four games. Overall, Pierce is definitely a 'boom or bust' type of player.
The Broncos must shoot a tier higher and look for a trade for AJ Brown or Jaylen Waddle. Pierce simply isn't a player who fits with the team's current skillset at the position. A team like the New England Patriots, for example, may be a logical desitination for Pierce, as that offense could use an elite downfield target like him.
Pierce's projected contract would be very similar to what Sutton is currently playing on, and there's always a chance that his contract comes in a bit higher than the projected market value, as free agency is a time when players tend to get overpaid.
The Broncos have 81 million reasons to stay away from Pierce this offseason.