Colts Lose Alec Pierce to IR as 0-2 Start Goes From Bad to Worse

Being an Indianapolis Colts fan right now feels like paying premium prices for a streaming service that only shows buffering screens. Just when the offense needed to find a rhythm, the injury bug decided to take a bite out of the depth chart.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that head coach Shane Steichen is officially placing wide receiver Alec Pierce on injured reserve with a heel injury. Under NFL rules, that guarantees the wideout will miss a minimum of four games.

"ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Shane Steichen told reporters Pierce is being placed on injured reserve due to his heel injury."

Pierce went down in Week 2 against the Kansas City Chiefs, slipping while running a route before getting carted to the locker room. The Colts eventually lost that game 33-30 in overtime, dropping them to a brutal 0-2 start on the season.

Before the injury, Pierce had logged four catches for 61 yards in 2026. That is not exactly the kind of production that swings a fantasy league, but losing a 6-foot-3 target is a massive headache for a team already struggling to sustain drives.

Indianapolis is currently trying to navigate a brutal opening gauntlet. After getting cooked by the Baltimore Ravens in Week 1 and falling short against the Chiefs, the offense led by Daniel Jones and Jonathan Taylor is searching for answers. Steichen has been preaching early-down success, but that gets a lot harder when your receiving corps starts thinning out by mid-September.

For anyone looking at AFC South futures or weekly spreads, the Colts are officially in the danger zone. History is rarely kind to teams that start 0-2, and subtracting a vertical threat from an offense that already looks disjointed is going to make oddsmakers even more skeptical of this roster.

Pierce will be sidelined for at least a month, leaving Indianapolis scrambling to fill the void. If Steichen and Jones cannot figure out how to move the chains without him, this season is going to slip away before the Halloween candy even hits the shelves.