The San Francisco 49ers watched their NFC West rival, the Seattle Seahawks, capture Super Bowl LX in their own stadium. Meanwhile, another division opponent, the Los Angeles Rams, pushed deep into the playoffs and reached the NFC Championship Game.
Although the Niners did have key players like Nick Bosa and Fred Warner missing in the divisional round loss to the Seahawks last season, it’s clear the team needs to upgrade its talent to keep up with Los Angeles and Seattle.
One position on the team that needs improvement is the wideout group. Jauan Jennings is a free agent, and Ricky Pearsall had injury issues that plagued him in the 2025 season. As a result, NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco believes the 49ers need to address this position in free agency and even floated a name to target.
“The player that I would keep an eye on from the free‑agent market is scheduled to hit the market and probably will not be designated as a franchise player by his team, and that is Alec Pierce from the Indianapolis Colts,” Maiocco said in a YouTube video on Feb. 13. “When I look at Pierce, this is a guy who has good size — 6‑foot‑3 and 215 pounds.
“He’s very fast. He’s not a slot receiver, so he’d be playing on the outside. But the one thing that really separates him is just his ability to make big plays, and that is something that the San Francisco 49ers offense was severely lacking in 2025.”
Alec Pierce Brings Traits That the 49ers Need
Moreover, Maiocco highlighted key traits Pierce brings that would make him a valuable piece for the Niners in 2026, should the team beat out the competition and sign him this offseason.
“The ability to stretch the field, the ability to make big plays,” Maiocco added. “I also think that the quarterback situation with the Colts has kind of limited what Alec Pierce can do. In the last couple of years, the Colts’ quarterback situation was really bad, except for a few games last season when Daniel Jones was playing at a high level. Last year, Alec Pierce was targeted 84 times, catching only 47 of those.
“That’s not a great percentage, but I put more of that on the Colts’ offense and the quarterback than on Pierce. He still had 1,003 receiving yards and six touchdowns, and that 21.3 yards‑per‑reception average is the kind of offensive spark that the 49ers need.”
Niners Get Another Wideout Name They Should Target
Pierce isn’t the only wideout name that’s being floated by a reporter who covers the 49ers. The San Francisco Standard’s David Lombardi shared his take on a potential target that the Niners can pursue to begin reshaping their wideout position.
“I think, at receiver, if you’re the 49ers, that’s where you’re looking at multiple pickups, both through the draft and possibly through at least mid‑tier free agency,” Lombardi said in a Feb. 1 video published on his YouTube channel. “You face a lot of potential pitfalls at wide receiver with the separation issues that the 49ers have struggled with over the past two years.
“Romeo Doubs is a target I really like, formerly of the Green Bay Packers. His market rate might only be [$12 million] to [$15 million], especially if you can’t bring back Jauan Jennings because he costs closer to [$20 million]. Doubs could be a really, really nice pickup for the 49ers.”
49ers Insider Gives Blunt Free Agent Take on Colts’ Alec Pierce