The Indianapolis Colts were busy this offseason, with the majority of their big moves seeing them reinvest in their own players for the long-term future. That was on full display when the team handed wide receiver Alec Pierce a massive four-year, $114 million contract right at the start of free agency.
With Michael Pittman Jr. getting traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers, that leaves Pierce as Indianapolis’ top wide receiver moving forward. The problem is that Pierce is currently recovering from offseason ankle surgery, and with training camp starting up this week, he isn’t ready to take the field just yet.
Colts Place Alec Pierce on Physically Unable to Perform List
we have waived/non-football injury RB Lincoln Pare.
Indy selected Pierce in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft, and through his first four years in the pros, he has quickly turned himself into arguably the best deep threat in the entire league. Now, he’ll be tasked with taking his game to another level, as he is going to be Daniel Jones’ de facto No. 1 option in the passing game moving forward.
The 2025 campaign was the best of Pierce’s career, as he caught 47 passes for 1,003 yards and six touchdowns. For the second straight year, Pierce led the league in yards per reception (21.3), but moving forward, it’s clear that he is going to have to make a more consistent impact as one of the focal points of the team’s offense.
What the aerial attack will look like with Pierce leading the wide receiver room is one of the big questions heading into the new campaign, and training camp will provide fans with their first glimpse of this team. However, everyone will have to wait to see Pierce, as he was placed on the Physically Unable to Perform list by Indianapolis on Monday afternoon.
“We have placed LB CJ Allen and WR Alec Pierce on Active/Physically Unable to Perform list. We have waived/non-football injury RB Lincoln Pare,” the Colts announced in a post on X.
Colts Hoping Alec Pierce Will Be Back on the Field Soon
GettyIndianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce.
The Colts have known for a while now that Pierce’s Week 1 status is up in the air, but seeing him land on the PUP list is still concerning, nonetheless. The hope is that he will be able to suit up for the team’s first game of the season, but Indianapolis is going to play things safe with Pierce. After all, he just signed a big-money extension, and if all goes according to plan, this team will be playing important football games come January.
With Pierce out, Josh Downs is going to work as the team’s top wide receiver for the time being, with Ashton Dulin and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine filling in behind him. There’s no doubt that Pierce is doing whatever he can behind the scenes to get himself back on the field as soon as possible, but this move indicates that there’s a real shot he isn’t ready for the start of the season, which would be a big blow considering how much this team just invested in him.
Colts Make Concerning Alec Pierce Roster Move Ahead of Training Camp