Alec Pierce’s breakout season has put him in a very different financial stratosphere, but Sunday night may have brought an abrupt pause to the next chapter.
The Colts receiver, fresh off a 2025 campaign that featured career highs of 47 catches and 1,003 yards, earned a four-year, $114 million contract this offseason after establishing himself as one of the NFL’s premier deep threats. But in the first quarter of Sunday Night Football against the Kansas City Chiefs, Pierce went down after a downfield tangle and some quick cuts, coming up hopping on what looked like a non-contact injury.
He headed straight to the Colts’ injury tent and then was loaded onto the injury cart and taken back to the Indianapolis locker room. By the second quarter, Indianapolis had ruled him out with a heel injury.
Now the question for the Colts is simple: who replaces that downfield production?
The answer is not obvious. Josh Downs is best suited for work in the slot, while Keenan Allen no longer brings the speed he once did. Adonai Mitchell was supposed to help solve that problem, but he underwhelmed in Indianapolis and was traded to the New York Jets last season.
That leaves a thin group behind Pierce. Anthony Gould does not have the size to step into that role, and Laquon Treadwell’s lone target in Week 1 was his first since 2023, though he did manage to draw a downfield pass interference penalty two drives after Pierce exited.
That could open the door for rookie seventh-round pick Deion Burks, whose 4.30-second 40 speed gives him a chance to become the next man up.
In Other News...
Chiefs Just Put Daniel Jones And The Colts On Notice
Daniel Jones is heading into another familiar matchup with Kansas City, and the Chiefs are clearly treating it as more than a routine game plan. Jones has already faced them twice and lost both times, but this one comes with a wrinkle: Kansas City defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is zeroing in on what Jones can do as a runner, even after a recent game against Baltimore in which he did not show much mobility.
Spagnuolo also pointed to the challenge of dealing with Jones and Jonathan Taylor on the field together, a pairing that gives Indianapolis a different kind of stress-test than the Chiefs have seen before. For the Colts, that kind of attention is a sign their offense still has enough moving parts to make Kansas City prepare for multiple threats, even if one of them has not been at full speed lately. [Read more 🡒]
DeForest Buckner's Status Suddenly Looms Large For Colts Defense
DeForest Buckner is expected to be available for the Colts in Week 2 against the Chiefs after a neck injury kept him out of a recent practice, a reminder of how much Indianapolis leans on him when the defense is under pressure. He was on the field in Week 1 and helped on that side of the ball, but the situation around him has carried a familiar edge for the Colts because of how long this issue has lingered.
The bigger concern is less about one practice and more about what Buckner can keep giving over the stretch of the season. He has dealt with this neck injury since 2025 and has already missed multiple games in recent years, so every update on his status carries more weight than a typical veteran maintenance day. For a defense built around his presence, the Colts have plenty riding on whether he can stay available. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Get The Offensive Setup They Needed For Chiefs Test
The Colts head into their matchup with the Chiefs in far better shape than they might have expected when the week began. Ashton Dulin has already been ruled out with an ankle injury, and DJ Giddens is listed as questionable because of a knee issue, but the rest of the offense is available, giving Indianapolis a much cleaner setup for one of its biggest tests of the season.
Alec Pierce, Keenan Allen and Jonathan Taylor are all cleared to play, and all offensive starters are set to go. For a team trying to hold up against Kansas City, having that kind of continuity matters, especially when the margin for error is so small in a game that can swing on one drive, one protection call or one explosive play. [Read more 🡒]