The Indianapolis Colts’ wide receiver, Alec Pierce, won’t be returning to the field anytime soon due to an ankle surgery that the WR underwent during the offseason.

The injury update has the Colts worried for the 2026 season as they invested $114 million into re-signing their wide receiver in March. ESPN’s Adam Schefter confirmed this news on Wednesday. 

“Colts WR Alec Pierce, fresh off his four-year, $114 million contract extension, might be sidelined well into training camp due to his off-season left ankle surgery,” shared Schefter on X.

Pierce told reporters on Wednesday that he received a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection days after the 2025 season. He had to go for surgery after the injection wasn’t successful in alleviating the pain he had endured throughout the previous season. 

With the recovery timeline set at four to six months, the news raised questions on how much of the training camps in July and August the WR would be able to participate in.

The development is notable, especially after Pierce bagged the most lucrative free agent WR contract in NFL history, per Nathan Brown of the Indianapolis Star.

With this recent development, the Colts might be doubting their decision to trade Michael Pittman Jr. to the Steelers, as per Jobe Morrison of the Big Lead.

The trade signaled their full commitment to Pierce as their WR1. However, following Pierce’s surgery and recovery timeline, the Colts are now facing a lack of proven depth at wide receiver.

Morrison concluded by saying that Pierce could return healthy and pick right up, as there’s still plenty of time for the season to start. Meanwhile, the Colts have to act quickly to address the WR room and deal promptly with the injuries on their roster, especially with their quarterback. 

Colts Banking on Jones-Pierce Connection in 2026 

Along with WR Alec Pierce, the Colts are also dealing with the Achilles injury that kept QB Daniel Jones away since week 14 during the 2025 season. They invested $88 million into re-signing their QB in March for another two years. 

Garrett Klaus of Heavy.com reported that the QB returned to the field for OTAs and is ahead of his recovery schedule. 

Prior to his injury, Jones had a spectacular first year with the Colts in 2025, where he set an 8-5 record, registered 3,101 yards, and 19 touchdowns. The team has similar expectations from him for the 2026 season. 

Per a report by the Associated Press, Pierce and Jones forged a strong bond in 2025. Before Jones went down with the injury, Pierce caught 33 of the 59 passes that Jones threw his way, totaling 689 yards and two touchdown catches in their 10 games together. 

The Colts now eagerly await their WR1’s return to the field so that the Jones-Pierce tandem can build on last year’s success in 2026. 

Written by

Naomi Grace

Edited by

Zaid Quraishi