Pierce Goes to IR. The Colts Are Down to Whoever's Left.

Alec Pierce is on injured reserve with the heel injury that's been shadowing him since before the season started. He came off the PUP list in late August after ankle surgery, made it through the opener, and now he's done for at least four games — probably longer, given the nature of the problem. The Colts' leading receiver from 2025, 1,003 yards and six touchdowns, is gone before the season has found its footing.

The timing is what makes this particularly uncomfortable. Keenan Allen is already sitting out a three-game suspension, which means the two additions the Colts made this offseason to stabilize the receiving room are both unavailable right now, simultaneously. What's left is Josh Downs, Anthony Gould, and whoever else the staff can piece together. That's a workable group on paper. Whether it holds up under game pressure is a different question.

I noted after the Allen suspension dropped that Jones and the remaining receivers were on their own. Pierce's IR designation just made that more literal. Jones is a functional pocket passer when healthy, and Jonathan Taylor gives the offense a genuine anchor. But the passing game needs at least one receiver who can win a contested rep, and right now that list is thin. The Colts built this offseason around continuity and reinforcement. Two weeks in, both of those additions are off the field.