The Houston Texans are catching a bit of a break as they look to snap their skid at two games to start the 2026 season with a Week 3 tilt against the Indianapolis Colts, who will officially be without star receiver Alec Pierce.
“The Colts are placing WR Alec Pierce on injured reserve, as expected, coach Shane Steichen says,” ESPN’s Stephen Holder reported on X on September 23, following the official announcement. “Rehab upcoming on his heel injury with an eye toward possibly returning in an undetermined length of time.
Pierce was spotted on crutches following the Colts’ Week 2 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Head coach Shane Steichen said Pierce’s X-rays were negative.
“Pierce has given the Texans problems in the past,” the Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan M. Alexander posted in reaction to the news. “He officially won’t be available Sunday.”
Colts Lose Alec Pierce Before Texans Game
For his career, Pierce has 17 receptions for 416 yards and 4 touchdowns on 31 targets in eight regular-season games against the Texans. Of course, the Colts are 1-6-1 in those contests, but Pierce is a challenge nonetheless.
Pierce and the Colts, like the Texans, are 0-2 entering this matchup, and there is a level of desperation teams can reach at this early point of the season.
Moreover, the Texans defense has been tested by some strong passing attacks this season.
The Colts are not on the level of the Buffalo Bills or the Cincinnati Bengals. That is true even with Pierce in the lineup. Still, Pierce’s absence certainly sets the stage for the Colts to be a get-right game for the Texans in Week 3.
The Texans have their own receiver issues. They lost Jayden Higgins before the regular season. They also did not have Nico Collins in Week 2.
Collins’ status remains uncertain for Week 3, while Tank Dell remains out until at least Week 5.
“This is a must-win game for the Texans,” Alexander wrote in his mailbag on September 23, “not only because they don’t want to start 0-3, but also because an 0-3 start would also mean they would have lost their first three AFC games, which are needed for end-of-season tiebreakers.”
Texans Receive Major Injury Update Before Colts Game