The San Francisco 49ers need to bring in help at wide receiver as the projected losses of Brandon Aiyuk, Jauan Jennings, Kendrick Bourne, Skyy Moore and Trent Taylor will leave them thin at the position.
According to The Athletic’s Diana Russini, the 49ers were involved in the bidding for Alec Pierce, but just after the legal-tampering window opened, the wideout agreed to a four-year, $116 million deal to return to the Indianapolis Colts.
The 25-year-old played at Cincinnati from 2018-21, earning All-AAC honors once. The Indianapolis Colts took him in the second round of the 2022 NFL draft, and over the last four years, he’s appeared in 64 games and hauled in 157 passes for 2,934 yards and 17 touchdowns. He also led the league in yards per reception twice (2024 and 2025).
Pierce would’ve been a great option for Purdy to target in 2026, but now, San Francisco will really have to put in an effort to get one of the other top options on the market.
More 49ers: 49ers 2026 free agency tracker: Latest news, rumors and signings
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers lose sweepstakes for top WR on free agent market
Reporting by Mike Masala, Niners Wire / Niners Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
