Will Alec Pierce be Healthy for the Colts Week 1?

Charlie Zschau Updated: 15 hours ago

Update on Alec Pierce's injury situation, including best and worst case scenario's for the Indianapolis Colts wide receiver.

The Indianapolis Colts signed wide receiver Alec Pierce to a four-year, $114 million contract extension in March of 2026. Later that month, Pierce underwent surgery to address lingering discomfort in left ankle.

Chris Ballard, the Colts general manager, stated that the team was fully aware of Pierce's ankle issue, but were not worried enough to pause contract talks with the 26-year-old pass catcher.

In 2025, Pierce had the best season of his career, hauling in 47 catches for 1,003 yards and six touchdowns. The former Cincinnati Bearcat proved enough value to the Colts offense that the team was willing to let Michael Pittman leave and made Pierce the 13th highest paid receiver in the NFL.

Pierce is currently on the preseason PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) list as he is still recovering from the offseason surgery. The Colts have not specified an exact return date for their wide out, but he has returned to light individual workouts with the teams' trainers.

Will Alec Pierce play in Week 1 of the NFL season?

Indianapolis in exercising extreme caution, but expect to have Pierce ready and available for their week 1 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, September 13th.

Best Case Scenario

The best possibility for Pierce is that he begins to ramp up his individual training and is cleared to rejoin the the Colts' team drills soon. If he is able to do so, there is a possibility that he is fully fit and ready to go for Week 1 against Baltimore.

Pierce could also play week 1 on a managed snap count to avoid overworking him.

Worst Case Scenario

The worst outcome for the Colts is that Pierce is behind schedule in his recovery, and has to be put on the reserve PUP list ahead of roster cuts. If this is the case, Pierce would have to miss the first four games of the season.

He would hopefully be fit enough to play in the Colts week 5 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, October 11th.