Colts officially place WR Pierce on IR with heel issue

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  Stephen HolderSep 26, 2026, 12:45 PM ET

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  Stephen joined ESPN in 2022, covering the Indianapolis Colts and NFL at large. Stephen finished first place in column writing in the 2015 Indiana Associated Press Media Editors competition, and he is a previous top-10 winner in explanatory journalism in the Associated Press Sports Editors national contest. He has chronicled the NFL since 2005, covering the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2005-2013 and the Colts since 2013. He has previously worked for the Miami Herald, Tampa Bay Times, Indianapolis Star and The Athletic.

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indianapolis Colts on Saturday officially placed receiver Alec Pierce on injured reserve, starting the clock on a potential return as he attempts to rehab and rejoin the lineup.

Pierce sustained a re-injury of a heel issue during Sunday's overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, leaving the game late in the first quarter, unable to put weight on his left leg.

Pierce had undergone surgery on the injury in March, his rehab keeping him sidelined through the preseason. He returned on a limited basis in Week 1 and lasted just a few plays into the Colts' Week 2 game.

Now, after consultation with multiple physicians, Pierce and the Colts will work to rehab the injury with a goal of returning this season. Surgery, so far, has not been discussed by any of those physicians, a team source told ESPN.

Pierce must now miss a minimum of four games after being placed on IR. The earliest he could return to the lineup would be the Colts' Oct. 25 game at the Minnesota Vikings.

The loss of Pierce -- who is one of the league's premier deep threats and has led the NFL in yards per catch in each of the past two seasons -- could have a significant impact on the Colts. With Pierce playing just 41% of the team's snaps in the first two weeks, quarterback Daniel Jones saw a noticeable dropoff in his yards per attempt; he's averaging 6.1 after a career-best 8.1 last season.

The effort to replace Pierce continued Saturday. The Colts signed veteran and longtime Giants receiver Darius Slayton earlier this week. Then, Saturday, they signed receiver Anthony Gould from the practice squad. The Colts also elevated Nick Westbrook-Ikhine from the practice squad for Sunday's game against the Houston Texans.