Alec Pierce (ankle) will not practice this week

Ballard said he’s confident Pierce will be ready for Week 1. Colts beat writers reported the injection on Monday. Ballard came out Tuesday and denied the procedure — part of Pierce’s rehab from offseason ankle surgery he underwent right after signing a massive contract extension with the Colts. Pierce, who operated strictly as a downfield option in 2025, is expected to have a more varied route tree when he’s fully recovered from his ankle issue. If Pierce is sidelined, Josh Downs will likely serve as the team’s No. 1 wideout to start the season.

Pierce remains well behind schedule following offseason surgery on his ankle, with it now coming to light that the veteran receiver required a second PRP injection in his left ankle. Now well beyond the original recovery window following the late-March surgery, Pierce appears to be in legitimate danger of missing time when games start to count if the platelet-rich plasma injections do not speed up his recovery for the second time. Pierce signed a four-year, $114 million contract extension with the Colts this offseason after the team lost Michael Pittman in a trade to the Steelers, signifying an intent to move forward with Pierce as their primary option at the position. That move could prove costly if Pierce misses regular season time. Josh Downs and Tyler Warren would be in line to benefit the most from any absence from Pierce.

“No, not right now,” was Steichen’s response when asked if there was a timeline. “His rehab’s going great, I’ll say that. ... I don’t have the timetable on his return, but he’s doing a hell of a job in his rehab process.” “No timeline” might be a bit disingenuous, but probably no more so than when GM Chris Ballard said nine days ago Pierce was a “week or two” from returning. The Colts’ brain trust is being intentionally vague, but we still haven’t seen anything to suggest Week 1 is off the table. On the other hand, we’ve seen nothing to suggest it is assured. Pierce’s status is genuinely up in the air, making him a high-risk WR3 in August fantasy drafts.

Pierce was placed on PUP to begin camp and is reportedly one to two weeks away from returning to the practice field following offseason ankle surgery. Preparing for life after Michael Pittman, Pierce could use as many reps with quarterback Daniel Jones as possible to grow into what is expected to be an increased role in the offense. Pierce signed a fully guaranteed four-year contract this offseason.

It doesn’t change anything, though it formalizes the possibility Pierce could begin the regular season on the reserve/PUP list, which would cost him a minimum of four games. Players can be removed from the active/PUP list at any time, though teams tend to take their time, because once you’re off, you’re off. Pierce appears destined to spend at least a few weeks working off to the side and rehabbing. Amongst the many possible outcomes is Pierce being removed from the PUP list but still missing a game or two to begin the year. At this point, he should probably be considered on the wrong side of questionable for Week 1, making him a dicey WR3 draft play. It also leaves the Colts with some of the league’s worst receiver depth. This will be the first of many updates after the next few weeks.

Before digging into the numbers, keep in mind that Pierce is currently recovering from offseason ankle surgery and could return “late” in training camp. In the 2025 regular season, just six players earned 150-plus targets. Pierce earned targets at a 17.4 percent rate last year, trailing both WR Josh Downs (22.2 percent) and TE Tyler Warren (21.1 percent) in that area. Pierce is stuck working with the training staff, while Downs trains for the Z-receiver/slot receiver role, and Warren refines his route running after leading the team in targets as a rookie. Simply put, we strongly doubt Pierce’s odds of becoming a top-six NFL target earner. This vote of confidence is a positive for Pierce, but there are real questions about whether he can sustain a major target pace.

Pierce is facing a 4-6 month recovery period after undergoing ankle surgery in late April. His Week 1 status is very much up in the air. Just before announcing his ankle injury, Pierce signed a four-year, $116 million contract with the Colts, who expect Pierce to be the team’s top wideout after Michael Pittman left for the Steelers. It could be a slow start to the regular season for Pierce, strictly a downfield pass catcher. Eventually he should be Daniel Jones’ No. 1 target in the balanced Colts offense.

On April 20th, Colts general manager Chris Ballard said Pierce was looking at a three-month recovery after undergoing surgery on his ankle. The Colts’ exact training camp start and end dates have not yet been announced, but last year, it ran from July 23rd to August 14th. Returning partway through camp would technically put him a little bit behind schedule. Pierce signed a four-year, $114 million contract, so we know the team certainly hopes to increase his involvement this season. However, while Pierce rehabs post-op, WR Josh Downs and TE Tyler Warren continue to get into football shape while honing their craft. Pierce will still have time to get ready for the season if he returns in early August, but he’ll be cutting it closer than he ideally would.

Ballard said that Pierce, who signed a four-year, $114 million contract this offseason, is expected to be back sometime during training camp. According to Ballard, Pierce “kept dealing with some pain in his ankle” and opted for surgery after consulting multiple doctors. It doesn’t sound like this is an issue to be overly concerned with at this time, but the clock is officially ticking for Pierce to be ready to go by camp after the Colts paid him WR1 money this offseason and traded Michael Pittman Jr. to the Steelers. We’ll likely get another update on his recovery as training camp draws closer.

The Colts’ intent to increase Pierce’s involvement was made apparent by the four-year, $116 million contract he signed last month. Downs produced career lows in targets (84), receptions (58) and yards (566) last year, struggling to compete with TE Tyler Warren as a slot weapon. This is the second positive report for Downs this week, though which is encouraging. Downs currently finds himself in the fantasy WR4 discussion, but could improve his standing by becoming the Colts’ go-to pass catcher in the short-to-intermediate target depth this summer. Pierce has a wide range of potential outcomes as he attempts to transition from a downfield role to being the team’s X-receiver. He can be valued similarly to Downs and may possess a higher upside.