Alec Pierce brings a dimension to the Indianapolis Colts‘ offense that no one else can match.
He has led the NFL in yards per catch each of the last two seasons. There have been few players in recent memory who make plays down the field as well as Pierce does from his WR spot.
The Colts are without that dimension right now, though.
Pierce was out for their Week 3 win over the Houston Texans, and he remains out as they play in London for Week 4 against the Washington Commanders.
The Colts’ WR depth chart looks a lot different without Pierce — and without Keenan Allen, who is out on Sunday, as well.
They’ll hope that Pierce isn’t out too much longer, but they’ve got to make things work in the meantime.
When is Alec Pierce Coming Back?
Pierce is first eligible to return on Oct. 25, which is Week 7 for the Colts. They play in Minnesota that day against the Vikings.
That specific date is the answer because Pierce was placed on injured reserve following his Week 2 injury. That placement means he has to miss at least four games before he’s allowed to come back.
That means Weeks 3, 4, 5 and 6 are out of the question for Pierce. Even if he were to be healthy, he couldn’t get back on the field for those games.
Week 7 is his earliest potential return, but it’s not a guarantee. Pierce could be on the IR for the rest of the season if he never got healthy.
It doesn’t seem like the injury is that bad, but there likely won’t be a whole lot more clarity until that Week 7 potential return for Pierce approaches.
Why Isn’t Alec Pierce Playing?
Pierce isn’t playing because he hurt his heel in Week 2 against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday Night Football.
The star wideout was attempting to make a cut during his route, and he clearly tweaked something.
Pierce had to be helped off to the medical tent and eventually was carted off the field. He was ruled out not long after.
He had surgery in the offseason on his heel, and it seems that whatever that helped didn’t help enough, because Pierce hurt it again in that Week 2 game.
The Colts had placed him on IR just a couple days later, guaranteeing he’d be out for at least four weeks.
In the meantime, Laquon Treadwell has taken basically all of Pierce’s snaps. Josh Downs remains reliable in the slot.
After that, particularly with the injury keeping Keenan Allen out of Week 4, the Colts’ WR depth chart is a total mystery as far as who will make the biggest contributions going forward.
When is Alec Pierce Coming Back? Injury Return Timeline for Colts WR