After getting good news on quarterback Daniel Jones, the Colts suffered a blow at receiver.
One of the best deep threats in the NFL, Alec Pierce, has been added to the physically unable to perform list as he recovers from offseason ankle surgery.
While the move was expected, it dampens the mood for fans looking to see their new $114 million man in action.
Pierce signed a four-year, $116 million deal with the Colts this offseason just as the legal tampering period opened in March.
The deal made the former Cincinnati product the 13th highest-paid receiver based on annual pay in the NFL, per Spotrac.
It comes after a season in which he played 15 games, recording 1,003 yards and six touchdowns on 47 receptions. He averaged 21.3 yards per grab.
Pierce has not practiced since signing, though, as he faces a four- to six-month rehab timeline after getting the surgery in late March.
“We’ll get him ramped up during training camp,” Colts coach Shane Steichen told ESPN on Saturday. “The goal is to be ready for Week 1.”
Had the receiver needed just the minimum four months to recover, Pierce could have participated in training camp.
Pierce said in June that he originally received a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection in his ankle at the end of the 2025 season, hoping to avoid surgery, but when pain continued, he knew he had to bite the bullet and get the procedure.
The receiver has not confirmed what the ankle injury is, but did say he’d been dealing with it since 2024.
Should he be good to go Week 1, Pierce is in a prime spot to improve on an already impressive showing in 2025.
The deep-threat receiver will be the true No. 1 this year, likely flanked by Josh Downs and Ashton Dulin, and should be more comfortable with his quarterback as Jones enters year two in Indianapolis.
Jones said Monday that he is ready to be a full participant in training camp after rehabbing an Achilles tendon tear that ended his 2025 season.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
