INDIANAAPOIS — Wide receiver Alec Pierce revealed Wednesday at Colts minicamp 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, like right before the season or ready to go sometime during camp, whether that’s the beginning or the end,” Pierce said, recalling a conversation 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 gonna do this, we’re gonna do this now.’”
The Colts re-signed Pierce, arguably the top receiver on the free-agent market, to a four-year, $114 million deal in March. He inked his new deal shortly before undergoing surgery. Pierce said the doctors told him 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 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 yards and six touchdowns in 2025, marking the first 1,000-yard receiving campaign of his career. He’s also led the NFL in yards per reception in each of the past two seasons (22.3 in 2024 and 21.3 in 2025).After trading veteran receiver Michael Pittman Jr., who led the Colts in catches in four of the past five years, to the Pittsburgh Steelers in March, Pierce is poised to take over as the team’s top wideout. Josh Downs and Ashton Dulin, a second-team All-Pro gunner in 2021, are also in line for bigger receiving roles.Jun 10, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms
