Colts coach Shane Steichen said the team is placing wide receiver Alec Pierce on injured reserve after the recently extended wide receiver aggravated his surgically repaired left heel in Indianapolis' Week 2 loss to the Chiefs. Steichen said Pierce will rehab the injury, rather than undergo another surgery, with the "hope" of returning this season, but there's no exact timeline for his return, per James Boyd of The Athletic. Surgery is still on the table, per ESPN.
The IR placement guarantees Pierce will miss at least four weeks.
The injury occurred during a route downfield in which Pierce fell while trying to change direction. He got back up and continued his route but quickly pulled up in obvious pain. He was helped off the field and into the blue medical tent and later carted off. While X-rays were negative, the Colts ruled him out for the remainder of the game. It's now clear he'll miss much more than that.
It's a brutal blow for both the Colts and for Pierce, who put together his first 1,000-yard season last year and signed a four-year, $114 million deal this offseason. It took Pierce a while to get up to speed during training camp, but he was able to make it back for Week 1. He had four catches for 61 yards in the season-opening loss to the Ravens.
The Colts had already been extremely thin at wide receiver behind Pierce and Josh Downs, leading to the Keenan Allen signing just days before the season began. In the wake of Pierce's injury, the Colts signed Darius Slayton, Daniel Jones' former Giants teammate, to help provide some downfield juice. It should also be noted that Allen reportedly faces a three-game suspension at minimum stemming from his drunken driving arrest last month.
The Colts (0-2) face the Texans in Week 3.
What the Colts will miss with Alec Pierce out
Pierce led the NFL in yards per reception each of the last two seasons, and last year, he became the first player since A.J. Brown in 2019 to go over 1,000 yards on at least 20 yards per catch. More than the numbers, though, Pierce showed he had become a much more well-rounded wide receiver: not just a vertical threat, but a better route runner who could win over the middle of the field. He posted a career high in YAC per catch (3.7) and had just one drop, a career low, too.
Simply put, there's no one who can replace Pierce's downfield production. Slayton has some similar qualities, but the fact that the Giants were fine moving on from him indicates where he is at this point in his career. Downs is a dynamic, talented slot receiver, but he's not -- or at least hasn't been used as -- a downfield guy. Pierce's career air yards per target is 16.8; Downs' is 7.2. Allen is no longer a field stretcher, either.
Simply put, this is a massive loss for a team that's already in hot water. Steichen and GM Chris Ballard came into this year on the hot seat, and now they're hoping they can turn things around quickly without their top wide receiver.
If there is one encouraging sign, it's that Jones has actually, statistically, been better without Pierce on the field. But on/off numbers can be finicky; Pierce missed a win over the cellar-dwelling Raiders last year, which plays a big role in those numbers. Plus, opponents not having to prepare for Pierce at all, rather than Pierce just coming off the field for a few snaps here or there, is a big difference. In the other game Jones played without Pierce last year, he threw a pair of picks in a loss to the Rams.
What the offense will look like without Alec Pierce
Jonathan Taylor is already fourth in the NFL with 50 touches through two games, and expect to see him even more ... if the defense will allow it. Indianapolis' defense has been among the league's worst, putting pressure on the offense to keep up. Taylor and the offensive line are good enough to do that on the ground, but without Pierce, opponents will worry less about deep passing and can crowd the box more.
When going to the air, Jones will likely look more for Downs and Tyler Warren. Downs had seven catches for 72 yards on a team-high nine targets in Week 2. Warren received seven targets and caught six of them, but for just 21 yards (and a touchdown).
Since the start of last year, Downs has a 1.89 yards per route run mark and a 21.1% targets per route run mark without Pierce on the field. With Pierce on the field, those numbers are 1.41 and 13.2%, respectively. It's a small sample size, but it's not nothing.
Trying to find pass catchers after Downs and Warren could be a challenge, though one could see Taylor getting more opportunities, too. It remains to be seen how quickly Slayton gets up to speed and how much he can actually help.
Ashton Dulin (ankle) missed Week 2. Laquon Treadwell had three catches in that game -- including a big one in overtime -- but does not project to be a significant contributor. He had one catch from 2023-25. Of course, injuries may mean he has to play more. The Colts also have seventh-round rookie Deion Burks on the roster.
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