Colts Newest Addition to the WR Room Makes Too Much Sense

The Indianapolis Colts have already found their replacement for top wideout Alec Pierce.

The Colts have signed free agent wide receiver Darius Slayton following Pierce's injury on Sunday Night Football, per Fox 59's Mike Chappell.

Slayton reunites with quarterback Daniel Jones from their days together with the New York Giants. The QB-WR duo spent six seasons (2019-25) together in New York, growing from rookie classmates to a solid pairing.

Is this signing a season-saving move, or just a necessary addition to keep the boat from fully sinking? From how we got here to where we're going, follow along as we break it all down.

How We Got Here

The Indianapolis Colts entered the summer hopeful that wide receiver Alec Pierce would fully return from his offseason ankle/heel surgery, but after just two weeks into the regular season, it seems as though they've rushed him back too soon.

Pierce was carted off the field in the first half against the Kansas City Chiefs after he sustained a non-contact injury to his left heel, the same foot he had said clean-up procedure done weeks after he signed his aforementioned four-year, $114 million deal to stay in Indianapolis.

The Colts' newest WR1 took five months to return to the gridiron in any capacity and wound up entering the regular season as an active member of the 53-man roster despite being a limited participant in the two weeks leading up to the season opener.

Lo and behold, even though Pierce was cleared for all activity just in time for the regular season, it was clear that he was not fully healthy.

Pierce looked noticeably stiff in the Colts' season opener, but still managed to haul in four of six targets for 61 receiving yards.

And even though Pierce was a full participant in practice for the first time of the new year ahead of the Colts' Week 2 matchup against the Chiefs, he reggravated the very injury he aimed to fix once and for all.

This left the Colts with a glaring hole in their wide receiver room. More specifically, head coach Shane Steichen's Colts offense was left without a proven deep threat.

The Colts still have longtime special teams ace and downfield threat Ashton Dulin on the active roster, but he too suffered a setback, and is now week-to-week with an ankle injury.

Despite having rookie Deion Burks at their disposal, the Colts decided to look at the free agent market and ultimately landed on reuniting Daniel Jones with a familiar face in Darius Slayton.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Alec Pierce will look to rehab his re-aggravated injury rather than have surgery. A trip to IR and surgery are reportedly in the cards, but the goal is for Pierce to recover without needing surgery.

Will Darius Slayton Save the Day?

Darius Slayton Daniel Jone — Darius Slayton and Daniel Jones of the Giants during warm ups prior to the Houston Texans at the New York Giants in a game played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ on November 13, 2022. The Houston Texans Face The New York Giants In A Game Played At Metlife Stadium In East Rutherford Nj On November 13 2022 | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Unless Darius Slayton has an alter ego who plays defense at an All-Pro level, this signing does not solve all of the 0-2 Colts' problems.

Furthermore, Slayton's addition does not mean that the Colts are saved offensively. The seven-year veteran was still unrostered for a reason, and even though he immediately improves the offense's outlook at wide receiever, the Colts still have concerns in the passing game.

However, the Colts desperately needed speed and reliability at the position after Pierce went down and veteran signee Keenan Allen has struggled to establish himself as a viable option for quarterback Daniel Jones.

With Alec Pierce expected to be out for multiple weeks, this move satisfies both needs.

Darius Slayton and Daniel Jones combined for 3,897 yards (42 ypg) and 21 touchdowns across six seasons together with the New York Giants.

They were by no means a formidable duo, but they developed a relationship across 92 games together in the NFL, and that, coupled with Slayton's skill set, ends up being the driving force behind their reunion.

Here's what the Indianapolis Colts' wide receiver room looks like with Slayton added to the equation:

Josh Downs
Keenan Allen
Darius Slayton
Laquon Treadwell
Ashton Dulin (week-to-week)
Deion Burks

Slayton will serve as a decent downfield threat for Daniel Jones and Co., but this shouldn't be seen as a move that instantly solves all of the Colts' shortcomings.

If nothing else, at least the Colts' passing attack has another capable passcatcher added to the mix while Alec Pierce looks to return to form (again).

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