Colts Sign Pierce - 4 Years, $116m

[Colts And Orioles]

o


Alec Pierce Hoping to Be Ready for Week 1 Following March Ankle Surgery

(By James Boyd)

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/734...urgery-return/




INDIANAPOLIS — Wide receiver Alec Pierce revealed on Wednesday at Colts mini-camp that he’s currently amid a 4-6-month recovery timeline from left ankle surgery that he underwent in late March. A rehab of that length calls into question when he could be available for training camp, and potentially the start of the season.

“I should be back, I think, approximately right before the season, or ready to go sometime during camp, whether that’s the beginning or the end,” Pierce said, recalling a conversation that he had with doctors before ultimately undergoing surgery. “So, just hearing that timeline, then it was quick turnaround because it was like, ‘If we’re going to do this, we’re going to do this now.’”

The Colts re-signed Pierce, arguably the top receiver on the free-agent market, to a 4-year, $114 Million deal in March. He inked his new deal shortly before undergoing surgery. Pierce said that the doctors told him that he was going to have to get surgery at some point to fully correct the issues with his left ankle, which he’d be dealing with since the 2024 season. He never explicitly explained what those issues were, only conceding that he was feeling increasing “discomfort.”

Pierce said that he initially received a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection at the end of last season in hopes of avoiding surgery. The injection came with a 6-8 week recovery timeline, but after not feeling much relief in his ankle, he went forward with surgery.

Pierce is coming off a career year in which he totaled 47 catches for 1,003 YDS and 6 TD's in 2025, marking the first 1,000-yard receiving campaign of his career. He’s also led the NFL in YPC in each of the past 2 seasons (22.3 in 2024, and 21.3 in 2025.)

After trading veteran receiver Michael Pittman Jr, who led the Colts in catches in 4 of the past 5 years, to the Pittsburgh Steelers in March, Pierce is poised to take over as the team’s top wide-out. Josh Downs and Ashton Dulin, a 2nd-team All-Pro gunner in 2021, are also in line for bigger receiving roles.

o