Colts head coach Shane Steichen said Wednesday that Pierce (heel) will be placed on injured reserve and is without a timeline for a return, Kevin Bowen of 107.5 The Fan Indianapolis reports.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Pierce -- who had surgery on the same left heel and ankle in late March -- will avoid another procedure and will instead treat the injury with rest and rehab after he suffered an aggravation in this past Sunday's overtime loss to the Chiefs. Pierce's impending move to IR means that he'll be sidelined for at least the Colts' next four games, with his availability beyond that set to be determined by how he responds to rehab. Given the recurring nature of the injury, the Colts could have Pierce take a conservative approach with his recovery program, especially after the team signed him to a lavish four-year, $114 million contract in the offseason.
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Colts' Alec Pierce: Bypassing surgery, out 'several' weeks
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Pierce will try to rehab his injured left heel without surgery and is expected to miss several weeks before potentially returning around midseason if all goes well, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Pierce had surgery on the same heel/ankle in late March and was a spectator for most of training camp and the preseason, though he was cleared to play Week 1 of the regular season. The wideout then aggravated the issue in the second quarter of Sunday's 33-30 overtime loss to Kansas City. Though X-rays were returned negative, Pierce is dealing with enough of a setback that he'll have to miss extended time and could end up on injured reserve. Indianapolis signed veteran receiver Darius Slayton on Monday to help boost the team's wideout corps, per Tom Pelissero of Netflix.
Colts head coach Shane Steichen said Monday that Pierce "aggravated something in the heel he had surgery on" during Sunday's 33-30 overtime loss to the Chiefs and is still being evaluated, Jake Arthur of Roundtable.io reports.
Per James Boyd of The Athletic, Steichen was non-committal when asked if Pierce was a candidate for injured reserve, noting that the Colts are "still gathering information" on the matter. After re-signing with the Colts on a four-year, $114 million contract in March, Pierce underwent surgery on his left ankle a couple weeks later, resulting in him missing nearly all of training camp and the preseason. He took on a somewhat suppressed workload in the Colts' Week 1 loss to the Ravens and was expected to ramp up his snap count in Week 2, but he finished with an 11-yard reception on his lone target over 19 snaps before he exited Sunday's game early in the second quarter after aggravating the heel injury. According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com, Pierce is seeking a second medical opinion on his heel, and more clarity on a timeline for his return to the field could become available later in the week.
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Colts' Alec Pierce: X-rays negative on injured heel
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Pierce is set for further tests on his left heel Monday, but X-rays returned negative after he exited Sunday's game against the Chiefs in the first half, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports.
Pierce caught his only target for 11 yards prior to exiting the game. He came up lame while running a route and was subsequently carted to the locker room. Pierce's left heel injury is perhaps connected to an offseason ankle surgery that prevented him from practicing prior to September. Further details on Pierce's injury will be provided prior to the Colts' Week 3 home game against the Texans.
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Colts' Alec Pierce: Won't return to SNF
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Pierce (heel) has been ruled out for the remainder of Sunday's game against the Chiefs, Stephen Holder of ESPN.com reports.
Pierce was ruled out shortly after being carted to the locker room. He came up limping on a non-contact play in the first half and couldn't put weight on his left leg. This injury is likely tied to the procedure Pierce underwent on his left ankle during the offseason, which kept him sidelined for the preseason. Pierce's next chance to take the field will come next Sunday against the Texans.
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Colts' Alec Pierce: Aggravates heel injury on SNF
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Pierce (heel) is questionable to return to Sunday night's game against the Chiefs, Matt McMullen of the Chiefs' official site reports.
Pierce was carted to the locker room in the first half of Sunday's game against the Chiefs, shortly after going into the blue medical tent, per Nathan Brown of the Indianapolis Star. Pierce was unable to put any weight on his left foot. He had surgery on his left ankle in the offseason and didn't practice Thursday due a heel injury.
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Colts' Alec Pierce: Will play Sunday night
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Pierce (heel) was a full participant in Friday's practice and doesn't carry an injury designation for Sunday's game at Kansas City.
After sitting out Thursday's session, Pierce returned to full work Friday and appears set to handle his usual role for Indianapolis. Colts coach Shane Steichen said Pierce's off day was for maintenance, suggesting the team was never worried about an absence. Pierce played 88 percent of snaps after halftime in the Week 1 loss to Baltimore, so he may have a full-time role despite being banged up already.
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Colts' Alec Pierce: Returns to practice Friday
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Pierce (heel) is practicing Friday after sitting out Thursday's session, Kevin Bowen of 107.5 The Fan Indianapolis reports.
Pierce was held out of practice Thursday after logging full participation Wednesday. His quick return suggests the absence may have been a matter of rest/maintenance. Pierce now looks on track to play Sunday night at Kansas City.
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Colts' Alec Pierce: X-rays negative on banged-up hand
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Pierce went to the locker room during Sunday's 41-23 loss to the Ravens for X-rays on his left hand and wrist, which came back negative, Nathan Brown of the Indianapolis Star reports.
Pierce returned to the game after getting encouraging results on the injury he sustained by hitting his hand on the helmet of Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith. The banged-up wide receiver dealt with a heel injury heading into the game but managed to play through his injuries to post 61 yards in the season-opening loss. Pierce wore a soft brace on his left hand after the game, so his health will bear monitoring as the Colts prepare for a Week 2 trip to Kansas City.
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Colts' Alec Pierce: May not handle normal workload
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Pierce (heel) is expected to play a decent amount of snaps Sunday against the Ravens, though it isn't expected to be his usual full allotment, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports.
Despite being limited in all three Week 1 practices, Pierce wasn't given a designation for Sunday's contest, clearing him to return after first recovering from offseason ankle surgery and then tending to a heel injury this week. If he indeed can't handle his normal workload, he'd be a risky play, perhaps needing one of his noted splash plays to reap rewards in the season opener. Josh Downs, Keenan Allen and Ashton Dulin are the top healthy Colts wide receivers if Pierce cedes snaps to the rest of the position.
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Colts' Alec Pierce: Will play Sunday
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Pierce (heel) will not carry an injury designation into Sunday's season opener against the Ravens.
Pierce was a limited practice participant throughout the week, never quite upgrading to full, and per Stephen Holder of The Athletic, it's unclear if he will handle a full workload. However, the Colts have at least left no doubt that Pierce will play this Sunday. Any limitations could mean more work for Josh Downs, Keenan Allen and/or Ashton Dulin.
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Colts' Alec Pierce: Limited in practice by heel injury
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Pierce was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice due to a heel injury.
Pierce will have two more opportunities to upgrade to full practice participation heading into Sunday's season opener versus the Ravens. Per Mike Chappell of Fox 59 News Indianapolis, Pierce is expected to be ready to go for Sunday, though the wideout could be on something of a pitch count in the first few weeks of the season after kept him from practicing until late August. The 26-year-old served mainly as a deep-ball specialist over his first four seasons in the NFL but could become more of a higher-volume target earner in 2026 after re-signing with Indianapolis on a four-year, $114 million deal in March.
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Colts' Alec Pierce: Expected to play Week 1
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Coach Shane Steichen said Monday that Pierce (ankle) "should be good to go" for Sunday's game against the Ravens, Joel A. Erickson of The Indianapolis Star reports.
Pierce returned to a full practice last week and is nearing 100 percent following ankle surgery earlier in the offseason. While Pierce is expected to play against Baltimore, it's unclear if he'll play his normal allotment of snaps, according to Stephen Holder of ESPN.com. Pierce could be on some sort of snap count, and Ashton Dulin would be in line for additional reps on offense. Pierce is shaping up as a boom-or-bust fantasy bet for Week 1.
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Colts' Alec Pierce: Practices fully Thursday
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Coach Shane Steichen said Pierce (ankle) was a full participant in Thursday's practice, Nathan Brown of The Indianapolis Star reports.
It marks Pierce's first full practice of the summer after he underwent offseason ankle surgery. GM Chris Ballard said Tuesday that the "hope" was Pierce would be ready for the team's Week 1 opener against the Ravens, and this return to full work would suggest the wideout is on the path to playing Sunday, Sept. 13. Pierce is expected to operate as Daniel Jones' clear top outside field-stretching weapon this season, while Josh Downs (calf), Keenan Allen and Tyler Warren (groin) mostly work in the short and intermediate areas.
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Colts' Alec Pierce: Working out but will sit Saturday
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Pierce (ankle) is working out prior to Saturday's preseason game against the Lions but will not play, Mike Chappell of Fox 59 News Indianapolis reports.
Pierce was activated from the Active/PUP list Thursday, but he is not ready to appear in a game just yet. He will keep building up over the next two weeks with an eye on suiting up for his team's Week 1 matchup with the Ravens.
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Colts' Alec Pierce: Avoids second PRP injection
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Pierce didn't require a second platelet-rich plasma injection for his surgically repaired left ankle, contrary to what was previously reported, according to Nathan Brown of The Indianapolis Star.
A league source previously relayed that Pierce required the second shot, but the source recanted and said it had misspoken. Another source confirmed that the wideout hasn't required any follow-up procedures since undergoing surgery in late March. Even so, Pierce has been sidelined for the entirety of the Colts' offseason program and training camp, and head coach Shane Steichen hasn't provided a firm target date for when he might come off the PUP list. Pierce has been one of the NFL's top vertical threats the past two seasons while averaging 20-plus yards per reception in both years, and after signing a lavish four-year, $114 million deal to remain with Indianapolis, the team is counting on him taking on greater target volume in 2026.
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Colts' Alec Pierce: Receives second PRP injection
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Pierce (anke) received a second PRP injection in his left ankle this offseason, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.
Pierce initially attempted to get over his left ankle issue by receiving a PRP injection following the conclusion of the 2025 regular season, but he ultimately was forced to undergo a "clean-up" procedure in April. The wide receiver has missed the entirety of the Colts' offseason program and training camp to this point, and head coach Shane Steichen said Thursday that Pierce doesn't currently have a timetable to return to resume practicing. A platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection is a process in which a concentrated dose of a patient's own blood platelets is injected to help heal damaged joints, tendons, ligaments and skin. Pierce received the second injection in late June, per Mike Chappell of Fox 59 News Indianapolis, and Chappell outlined that a second treatment is not abnormal and helps the healing process.
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Colts' Alec Pierce: No timeline for return yet
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Colts coach Shane Steichen said Thursday that Pierce (ankle) is "doing great" with his rehab but doesn't have a concrete timetable to resume practicing, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.
At the start of training camp, Colts GM Chris Ballard said Pierce was a "week or so away" from practicing. The team is now a week and a half into camp, with no sign of an imminent return for Pierce, who underwent ankle surgery this spring. He initially hoped a long-lingering injury would heal with rest over the winter, but he ended up needing surgery not long after signing a four-year, $114 million contract in March. The Colts are left with Ashton Dulin, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Deion Burks and others to compete for first-team reps alongside Josh Downs at wide receiver this summer.
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Colts' Alec Pierce: Will miss 1-2 more weeks
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Colts GM Chris Ballard said Tuesday that Pierce (ankle) is a "week or so away" from practicing, Mike Chappell of Fox 59 News Indianapolis reports.
Pierce underwent ankle surgery in March and was given a return timeline of 4-to-6 months. He was placed on the active/PUP list to begin training camp Monday and can be activated at any time, but the goal all along has been for Pierce to be ready for Week 1. Fresh off re-signing with Indy on a four-year, $114 million deal and with Michael Pittman out of the picture, Pierce is expected to operate as the clear WR1 this season for quarterback Daniel Jones (Achilles).
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Colts' Alec Pierce: Opens camp on PUP list
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The Colts placed Pierce (ankle) on the active/PUP list Monday, Stephen Holder of ESPN.com reports.
It's not an unexpected move after Pierce underwent ankle surgery in March. His recovery is expected to linger into training camp, and it's unclear if the wideout will be ready for the regular-season opener against the Ravens in 48 days. Without Pierce and with Michael Pittman now in Pittsburgh, the Colts look extremely thin at the position. Josh Downs, Ashton Dulin and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine is an unimposing top three.
