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.
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 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.
