The Colts will be without Alec Pierce for an extended stretch, but the wide receiver is going to try to rehab his injured heel before turning to another surgery.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Sunday that
Pierce aggravated the heel injury that was surgically repaired earlier this year and is expected to miss several weeks. Pierce will attempt to rehab the injury, and if everything goes well, there is a possibility he could return around the middle of the season.
Pierce is also likely to be placed on injured reserve while he recovers.
There is still some uncertainty surrounding the plan. Rapoport added that avoiding surgery is not guaranteed, and another procedure remains possible if the rehab does not produce the results Pierce and the Colts are hoping for.
For now, though, the plan is to give the injury time and see if Pierce can get back on the field without going through another operation.
It is another frustrating development for Pierce after an offseason and training camp already dominated by the same injury. He underwent surgery in March after dealing with ankle and heel soreness during the 2025 season, then spent most of training camp on the physically unable to perform list before being activated shortly before Week 1.
The Colts were careful with him in the opener, limiting his workload as he worked his way back into game shape. Now they will be without one of their biggest offensive weapons for at least the next several weeks.
Pierce is coming off the best season of his career, finishing 2025 with 1,003 receiving yards on 47 catches while leading the NFL in yards per reception for the second consecutive year. His ability to stretch the field gives the Colts something that is difficult to replace, especially after the team committed to him with a four-year extension during the offseason.
Indianapolis will now have to lean more heavily on Josh Downs, Keenan Allen and the rest of the receiver group while Pierce recovers.
The good news is that surgery is not the immediate plan. The concern is that it has not been completely ruled out either.
For now, the Colts will hope rehab is enough and that Pierce can make his way back sometime around midseason.
