The Colts lost one of their biggest downfield weapons early on Sunday night, and Alec Pierce’s night ended before the first quarter was over.
Pierce was hurt while breaking on a route downfield against the Chiefs, appearing to injure his heel as he cut toward the sideline. He lost his footing when he changed directions, got back to his feet and then came up in clear pain. Kansas City cornerback Nohl Williams was nearby in coverage, but there did not appear to be any meaningful contact when the injury happened.
Indianapolis quickly swarmed him on the sideline. The team’s medical staff gathered around Pierce, helped him into the tent and then, after nearly 10 minutes of evaluation, carted him to the locker room for X-rays. The Colts officially ruled him out.
That makes the setback especially worrying given what Pierce has already dealt with. He had surgery on his left ankle in the offseason and spent most of the team’s activities on the sideline before returning to practice leading into Week 1. He was limited at the start of the season and was only now getting closer to full speed.
Before leaving, Pierce had one catch for 11 yards on his lone target.
With him out, the Colts will have to reshape their passing game on the fly. Josh Downs is in line to move into the No. 1 role, while late-offseason pickup Keenan Allen could also see more targets. Tight end Tyler Warren, who was active early and caught the game’s first touchdown, also stands to become a bigger piece of the plan without Pierce on the field.
Pierce’s absence stings because of what he brings when he’s healthy. He led the NFL in yards per reception in each of the last two years, and he opened this season with four catches for 61 yards in Week 1.
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