The Indianapolis Colts are officially weaker at wide receiver as of Wednesday morning.
Alec Pierce will indeed be out for an extended period of time, which was the expectation after he left Sunday Night Football with a heel injury.
Pierce had surgery on his heel area in the offseason, and so from the moment that was announced as the ailment, it was clear this could be a recurrence of a problem.
Now, the Colts will have to make do with a lesser WR depth chart until Pierce can make his return.
With the Colts already 0-2, it’s certainly not an ideal time to lose Pierce.
Alec Pierce Injury Update
Pierce was officially placed on Injured Reserve on Wednesday.
The IR placement means Pierce has to miss four weeks, at least.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported Wednesday morning that the realistic timetable on Pierce is between four and six weeks missed but that it’s “possible” it goes on longer than that.
ESPN’s Stephen Holder added this detail on X:
The Colts are placing WR Alec Pierce on injured reserve, as expected, coach Shane Steichen says. Rehab upcoming on his heel injury with an eye toward possibly returning in an undetermined length of time.
— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) September 23, 2026
Pierce was injured against the Chiefs on a play that he wasn’t even thrown the ball.
He ran about 10 yards down the field and began to make a cut toward the sideline, but his feet didn’t like the maneuver he made, and it was clear he had tweaked something.
Pierce first went to the blue medical tent, then had to ride in the cart off to the locker room, as he appeared unable to place any weight on his left leg.
The Colts went on to lose the game in overtime without Pierce.
Pierce signed a nine-figure contract extension in the offseason to lead the Colts as their No. 1 wide receiver. They dealt Michael Pittman to the Pittsburgh Steelers, too, affirming their belief in Pierce.
He led the NFL in yards per catch last season and built a quick early rapport with Daniel Jones in 2025.
Now, all of that is put on hold. The Colts will have to manage without their big-play threat.
Colts WR Depth Chart
The Colts now have a new-look group without Pierce.
Josh Downs will remain the reliable slot receiver. He’s the player whose role should change the least, although he may get a few more targets.
Keenan Allen has struggled to start the season and could also be facing a suspension, but he’ll be on the field most of the time, too.
So too will Darius Slayton, newly signed from the Giants. He’s the closest thing the Colts will have now to Pierce.
Laquon Treadwell can also fill the Pierce role as a deep threat.
Beyond them, there’s seventh-round rookie Deion Burks and the injured Ashton Dulin on the active roster, with a couple practice squad choices to choose from if it comes to that.
Colts’ Alec Pierce Injury Update Confirms Bad News