Colts head coach Shane Steichen said Tuesday he expects wide receiver Alec Pierce back "at some point in training camp" following a clean-up procedure the 26-year-old underwent earlier this spring.
Pierce, who has not participated in OTA or minicamp practices during the Colts' offseason program, on Wednesday explained the process that led him to have the surgery on an ankle that had been bothering him since the end of the 2024 season.
"It definitely got a little bit worse as the (2025) season went," Pierce said. "Probably the last month I'd say I was kind of struggling – (it) affected practice, I'd taken some days off. I'm glad they figured out what the issue was and we were able to fix it."
Pierce didn't let the pain he dealt with impact his production, as he crossed the 1,000-yard mark for the first time in his career and led the NFL in yards per catch for the second consecutive season. He received a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection shortly after the 2025 season and began a rehab process from it that was expected to take six to eight weeks – right up to mid-March, when he re-signed with the Colts just after the free agency negotiation window opened.
The PRP injection didn't alleviate the issue, so Pierce and the Colts began figuring out the next step. He could've tried to play through it, but doctors told him he'd eventually require the surgery, and there was risk of a more significant injury occurring if he put the procedure off for another year.
Eventually, by late March, the decision was collectively made for Pierce to undergo the procedure with the knowledge it could jeopardize his availability for the beginning of training camp.
"I think obviously we want the (return) date to be as early as possible, but you kind of got to let your body guide itself and see how you feel," Pierce said.
"We're just going to be smart with him too (and) make sure he's ready to go," Steichen said.
General manager Chris Ballard said in April the Colts don't anticipate any long-term implications from Pierce undergoing the procedure. And while Pierce hasn't been participating in practice over the last few weeks, he's remained mentally engaged while seeing the game from a different perspective – one that could very well help him once he does get back on the field.
"I've been trying to stand behind the quarterbacks a little bit and just kind of hear what they're saying and what's going through their mind," Pierce said. "... It's helpful to learn their thought process. ... Talking about the safety rolling down to the nickel doing this, and it's kind of opened my eyes to some things. I think looking at the game as a quarterback rather than looking at it as a wide receiver, that kind of allows me to understand more of what's going through their mind and what their reass might be and what they want from me."
