Will Alec Pierce's Ankle be the Colts' Ultimate Undoing?

Indianapolis Colts' Alec Pierce has been sidelined since his last snap in Week 18 of the 2025 regular season, and he's had two important things happen in the subsequent offseason, both of which came in March: signing the richest deal for a free agent wide receiver in NFL history and undergoing ankle surgery.

The homegrown wide receiver certainly deserved a big payday after breaking out with over 1,000 receiving yards for the first time and leading the NFL in yards per catch (21.3) for the second year in a row.

However, despite being regarded as a necessary move that demanded a patient rehab process, concern for Pierce's eventual return has been mounting as of late.

Recapping Pierce's Offseason

Alec Pierce fought through pain in his ankle during his breakout campaign and decided to address the issue in the offseason before things worsened.

“It had been bothering me since the end of like the 2024 season, so just was dealing with that and kind of finding ways (to play)," Pierce explained to local reporters back in June. "But it definitely got a little bit worse as the season went, and probably the last month (of the season) I'd say was kind of struggling, affected practice, had taken some days off and stuff."

Pierce netted a monster four-year, $114 million deal in free agency earlier this offseason, and a few weeks later, had his aforementioned 'clean-up' procedure done on his ankle.

His return timeline was an estimated four-to-six months from late March, and while it's not a shock that Pierce has missed the Colts' first nine training camp practices after missing the entire offseason, it's still a bit concerning.

"Talking with the doctor, I think we determined that surgery was the smartest play for the long term," Pierce said. "They kind of were saying I was going to have to do it at some point. And then, when I asked them what the time frame was, he said, like, four to six months. It was like late March, so then I was like, 'Okay, four months gets me basically to camp.'"

"So, just hearing that time frame, then it was a quick turnaround, right?" he continued. "Because they were like, 'Okay, if we're going to do this, we've got to do this now.' ... Then I started talking about the risks (of waiting) and stuff like that. And I think we just determined that it was smart to take care of it now with the risks ... of having a worse injury happen during the season."

The Colts were aware of Pierce's situation going into contract talks and have been bracing for a speedy recovery ever since.

The Current State of AP

General manager Chris Ballard kicked off training camp by saying Pierce was "probably a week or two away," which has only aged poorly. The Colts are two weeks deep into training camp, and have their first preseason game on Thursday, yet Pierce remains sidelined.

Pierce received a platelet-rich plasma treatment in January to try to address his ankle pain, but when it proved to be nothing more than a quick fix, he turned to surgery. The Athletic's James Boyd reported that Pierce has received a second PRP injection, this one coming sometime after he inked his new deal.

"Pierce did not have a setback, the source said. He received the second PRP shot in late June to alleviate soreness and speed up his rehab, which the source emphasized is “not abnormal,'" Boyd said.

Ultimately, missing the preseason altogether has always been in the cards for Alec Pierce; however, the Colts truly cannot afford to lose him for any amount of time during the regular season, and especially early on, but they've made their bed, and now they must sleep in it.

The Weight of Piece's Return

The Indianapolis Colts are entering a make-or-break season that largely hinges on head coach Shane Steichen's offense returning to early-season form from a year ago, but their star wide receiver's rehab from an offseason surgery has kept him sidelined for the entirety of training camp thus far, which has produced a scary reality of what the wide receiver room would look like without him.

The Colts desperately need Pierce to return to the gridiron as soon as possible, but they also don't want to rush him.

"I think obviously we want the date to be as early as possible, but kind of got to let your body guide yourself and see how you feel because what I'm learning with the rehab is the more you overdo it, the more sore you get," Pierce admitted. "(It) can sometimes be counterproductive. So, I'm learning when to push through the pain and soreness and when to back off."

Reaggravating the issue in the preseason would be detrimental for all parties involved, and that simply can't be an option if the Colts want to exit their early regular-season gauntlet on a high note.

Ballard traded away longtime wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. to afford Pierce earlier this offseason, and now they're betting on Pierce to replace Pittman Jr.'s production while Josh Downs and Tyler Warren do their thing, with special teams ace Ashton Dulin and friends picking up the scraps.

The Colts are hopeful that Pierce returns to practice before Week 1 arrives on September 13, but it's still concerning despite their understandable amount of patience shown.

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