Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen offered an encouraging report Tuesday on wide receiver Alec Pierce, who has been sidelined throughout training camp while recovering from an ankle issue.
Pierce is expected to return to practice this week if everything proceeds as planned, according to Steichen.
The injury lingered from the 2025 season and continued to bother the receiver into the offseason. Initial expectations called for him to rejoin the team at some point during camp, yet the recovery has moved more slowly than hoped. Reports earlier indicated Pierce might miss all of training camp and the preseason entirely.
That scenario raised concerns about the Colts opening the regular season without one of their top offensive threats. Pierce remains a central piece of the passing attack after a strong showing last year.
ESPN’s Stephen Holder relayed the latest from Steichen.
“Good news: Colts WR Alec Pierce (ankle) is expected to return to practice this week if all goes to plan, according to coach Shane Steichen.”
Any return to the practice field, whether limited or full, would mark positive progress for the offense as Week 1 approaches. Steichen confirmed when asked that the team has held no discussions about placing Pierce on the physically unable to perform list at the start of the season. That designation would force him to sit out the first four games.
With a potential practice return on the horizon, Pierce appears positioned to be available for the 53-man roster when the Colts face the Baltimore Ravens.
Last season, Pierce posted career-best numbers with 47 receptions for 1,003 yards and six touchdowns. Those performances earned him a four-year, $116 million contract extension during the offseason.
Following the trade of Michael Pittman Jr. to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Pierce is projected as the primary target in the passing game and is expected to command a heavy share of the looks. A delayed return could leave the unit looking similar to how it finished 2025.
The receiving corps already faces other challenges. Pro Bowl tight end Tyler Warren is managing a groin injury and is scheduled to miss this week of practice. While the issue is not considered as severe, the Colts could temporarily be without two of their more productive players from a year ago.
To bolster the group, Indianapolis signed veteran wide receiver Keenan Allen to a one-year contract. The addition provides depth while Pierce and Warren work back.
Cornerback Charvarius Ward, dealing with a back problem, is set to practice Tuesday, according to the same update from Steichen.
If Pierce steps onto the field this week without setbacks, it would ease pressure on the pass catchers and signal that the Colts’ aerial attack is trending in a healthier direction heading into the regular season. The combination of Pierce’s expected availability, Warren’s short-term absence and Allen’s presence leaves the receiving room looking more stable than it did just days earlier.
Colts fans and coaches alike will watch closely to see how Pierce responds once he rejoins drills. His presence would give quarterback Daniel Jones a reliable deep threat and intermediate option as the team prepares for its opener.
The positive update arrives at a key moment in camp, offering reassurance that one of the offense’s cornerstone players is closing in on a full return.
