Alec Pierce’s return from offseason ankle surgery took another turn Sunday, September 20. The Indianapolis Colts wide receiver left the Week 2 game against the Kansas City Chiefs after hurting his left heel. Pierce limped off the field, went into the blue medical tent and later left for the locker room on a cart.
Alec Pierce suffers left heel injury while making a route cut against Chiefs
Alec Pierce suffered a left heel injury during the first half of the Colts’ Week 2 game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, September 20. The wide receiver did not have the football when the injury happened. He was making a cut on his route when he appeared to hurt his lower left leg.Pierce had one catch before leaving the game. He limped off the field and went into the blue medical tent for evaluation before cameras later showed him being carted to the locker room. The Colts listed him as questionable to return with a heel injury, but he did not come back.The injury came after Pierce returned from offseason ankle and heel surgery. He missed much of training camp before returning to practice and playing in Indianapolis’ season opener against Baltimore on September 13. The Colts have not confirmed a connection between the surgery and his latest left heel injury
Why Alec Pierce’s injury is especially concerning for Colts
Pierce had only recently completed a long recovery. On March 27, he underwent a procedure on his ankle after dealing with an issue that had bothered him since the end of the 2024 season. A PRP injection after the 2025 season failed to solve the problem, which led Pierce and the Colts to choose surgery.The procedure kept him out of OTAs and minicamp and forced him to miss training camp. On August 27, Indianapolis removed Pierce from the physically unable to perform list and allowed him to begin practising again. The Colts said he would need a gradual ramp-up before returning to full football activity.Pierce then played in the September 13 season opener against the Baltimore Ravens, catching four passes for 61 yards on six targets. He played 32 of Indianapolis’ 54 offensive snaps. Before Week 2, Pierce said the plan was to put him on the field more against Kansas City.The Colts also have a major investment in their 26-year-old receiver. Pierce signed a four-year, $116 million contract this offseason after producing his first 1,000-yard season in 2025. He finished that campaign with 47 catches for 1,003 yards and six touchdowns while leading the NFL with 21.3 yards per catch for the second straight season.Currently, the key update remains simple: Alec Pierce suffered a left heel injury against the Chiefs on September 20 and did not return. Indianapolis has yet to announce the full diagnosis or a timetable for his return.