Alec Pierce’s injury has put Shane Steichen in an ugly spot, and the timing could hardly be worse for the Indianapolis Colts.
Steichen was already walking into 2026 with the pressure turned all the way up. He had not reached the playoffs in three years, and his record against winning teams sat at 7-22 before Indianapolis lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2, dropping him to 7-23. Now, with Pierce expected to miss time early in the season, the coach may be staring at the same kind of offensive squeeze that helped define the back half of 2025.
That’s because Pierce is the one Colts receiver who forces defenses to think twice. He gives Steichen a true deep threat, something this offense does not have in abundance.
Josh Downs can help, but he fits better working from the slot and attacking the seams. Keenan Allen no longer brings top-end speed.
And with Darius Slayton newly signed, what he still has left is an open question.
The problem showed up again in overtime against Kansas City. Daniel Jones did connect with Laquon Treadwell on a deep ball during the Colts’ lone possession in OT, but that kind of result is not something Indianapolis can count on to keep happening. Even that sequence came with a touch of chaos, as expecting Treadwell to keep making those plays - and then being touched-down by a defender just before he fumbles - is asking for a lot.
Without Pierce, Indianapolis risks sliding right back into the same kind of offensive trap it hit late last season when Jones was out and Philip Rivers was under center. Defenses could crowd the line, sell out against Jonathan Taylor, and force the Colts to beat them elsewhere. Taylor is a major weapon, but he can’t carry everything by himself.
And that matters because the rest of the team has not given Steichen much margin for error. The Colts have shown they are not built to win when the offense slips below a high level. The defense, by this account, is not nearly good enough to cover for it, and Lou Anarumo is not seen as a coordinator who can fix that problem on his own.
That’s what makes Week 3 against the Houston Texans so important. The danger is not only a blowout. It is a tight loss to a strong Texans defense that can choke off a Pierce-less Colts attack.
For Indianapolis, that game could become a turning point for Steichen, general manager Chris Ballard, and the people around them. An 0-3 start would sting, but the AFC South has not opened in dominant fashion across the board. Losing the first division game at home would still land hard, because it would show the Colts are behind even in a division that is not exactly sprinting away from them.
Houston’s blueprint is simple: crowd the line and make Steichen prove he can outscheme it. Based on what the Colts have shown, that is a tough ask. And if this season goes the wrong way, it may also be a tough ask for Steichen to keep his job beyond it.
In Other News...
Jonathan Owens And Simone Biles Just Gave Colts Fans A Glimpse Off The Field
Simone Biles gave Colts fans a small off-field window into the life she and Jonathan Owens are building together when she opened up on TikTok about a frightening incident at her Chicago home. Biles said three masked men stole her Porsche, but the vehicle was later recovered, and she also explained that the episode was part of why the couple decided to get a Doberman for protection.
For Indianapolis, the bigger takeaway is the one tied to Owens next chapter. Biles confirmed plans to officially move to the Indianapolis area so she can support the Colts safety, adding another layer of visibility around a pairing that already draws plenty of attention well beyond football. It is the kind of personal update that does not affect the depth chart, but it does give fans a better sense of the life surrounding one of the teams more recognizable players. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Could Face An Anthony Richardson Decision Much Sooner Than Expected
An already unsettled quarterback landscape around the league has the Indianapolis Colts back in an uncomfortable spot, this time because another team may be forced to look for help sooner than expected. With Jaxson Dart expected to miss the rest of the season because of injuries, the New York Giants have a glaring hole under center, and that has naturally pushed attention toward possible veterans or young passers who might be available if they decide to swing for a solution.
For the Colts, that kind of outside interest matters because Anthony Richardson remains one of the leagues more intriguing unknowns, and any discussion about his future tends to come with a price tag attached. If the Giants really do explore him as a replacement option, Indianapolis would have to weigh Richardsons long-term upside against whatever trade value could be extracted now, a choice that could arrive much earlier than the Colts expected when the season began. [Read more 🡒]
Marvin Harrison Jr. To Indy Suddenly Feels Less Far-Fetched
Marvin Harrison Jr. has only been in the league a short time, but the trade chatter around him has already started to pick up. According to ESPNs Dan Graziano, some NFL executives are at least considering whether the Arizona Cardinals would listen before the Nov. 10 trade deadline, a notable turn for a player whose early production has not matched the anticipation that followed him into the league.
For Indianapolis, the idea lands in a place where the fit is easy to see. The Colts had interest in Harrison Jr. before the 2024 draft, and they have been piecing together help at receiver after injuries thinned the group, recently adding veteran Darius Slayton. Whether Arizona would actually move on from Harrison Jr. is the bigger question, but the fact that the conversation is happening at all makes the possibility feel a little less imaginary than it did a week ago. [Read more 🡒]