Colts Enter Camp With a Receiver Room That Barely Exists

Alec Pierce is on the PUP list recovering from ankle surgery, targeting Week 1 but not guaranteed to be there. That's the headline. The quieter problem is what's behind him. Nick Westbrook-Ikhine is the listed starter at wide receiver, and last season he produced at a fraction of what a functional NFL starter at the position should. Behind him, no other wideout logged meaningful snaps all year. A typical rotation runs three deep. Indianapolis went into 2025 with essentially one.

Pierce's 1,003 yards and six touchdowns last season made him the room's clear engine, and Pittman and Downs held their own as secondary options. But those three were always the ceiling — Westbrook-Ikhine was never the answer as a starter, and the depth behind him is untested at the NFL level. Now Pierce is sidelined to start camp, and the Colts are practicing behind a receiver group that has a genuine hole at the top of it.

My read is this is the most pressing personnel question on the roster right now, more urgent than the DeForest Buckner timeline or the Charvarius Ward situation, because at least those involve players who have demonstrated they can play at this level when healthy. The Colts need a receiver who can actually function as a starter if Pierce misses time — and nothing in the current depth chart suggests they have one.

Training camp is where you find out what you have. Indianapolis is about to find out, at the worst position possible, that they may not have enough.