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WESTFIELD – Colts general manager Chris Ballard admit to any concern that the team’s new No. 1 wideout, Alec Pierce, could miss Week 1 after undergoing surgery in late-March on a nagging ankle injury. But six weeks away from the first practices of the regular season with Pierce starting training camp on the physically unable to perform list, Ballard wouldn’t eliminate the possibility either.
“He’s not active right now. He’s on PUP and that’s kinda a day-by-day thing,” Ballard told reporters Tuesday. “I’m not gonna make a prediction one way or another. I learned a long time ago with another certain player (in reference to retired Colts QB Andrew Luck) that you don’t make predictions.
“I’m not a doctor so we’ll just play it by ear and see how it goes.”
For now, Ballard said, the 26-year-old wideout is still “a week or two away.”
“He’s making great progress. He’s worked at it, and I don’t foresee it being a major issue,” Ballard continued. “Of course, we’d like to have him right now but Pierce is working his butt off, and he’ll be ready to go when he’s completely cleared.”
Days after the end of the 2025 season where he led Indianapolis in receiving yards with 1,003 on 47 catches and six touchdowns while leading the league in yards per catch (21.3) for the second year running, Pierce received a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection that he and doctors hoped would relieve him of the pain he played with for the entire season.
Doctors needed up to eight weeks to know whether the injection had worked, so Pierce couldn’t opt for surgery until that window had closed. By mid-March, the pain persisted, and so not long after signing the richest free agent wide receiver contract in NFL history, Pierce had surgery rather than wait another 11 months and potentially playing another season on the injury.
“We all want the date to be as early as possible but you kinda have to let your body guide yourself and see how you feel,” Pierce told reporters of his rehab process in June. “What I’ve learned with rehab is the more you overdo it, the more it can be counter-productive. I’m learning when to push through the pain and soreness and when to back off."
When asked Tuesday about pursuing a veteran free agent receiver to add from the Colts’ $31 million cap space – former Chargers veteran Keenan Allen is among the best fits available – Ballard told reporters any decision on filling out the team’s wide receiver room would be made independent Pierce’s health in the coming weeks.
“I don’t think right now, but at some point, we’ll evaluate that as we go along,” Ballard said. “We’ll probably talk through some of those guys.”
Joining Pierce on the PUP list to start training camp is the Colts’ top draft pick from April, second-round linebacker CJ Allen, who Ballard said Tuesday has a muscle strain in his calf the rookie suffered during a workout since the close of mini-camp six weeks ago.
“We don’t think it’s going to be long,” Ballard said of the time the Colts expect Allen to be sidelined. “But we’re going to take some precautions here. We don’t want it to linger, so we started him on PUP. We expect him back pretty quickly.”
The Colts will continue to monitor the health of two of the team’s captains and veteran voices on both sides of the ball in starting quarterback Daniel Jones and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner. They have been cleared to return to the field for the start of camp Wednesday after seeing their 2025 campaigns cut short due to injury. Jones participated in 7-on-7 action during mandatory mini-camp six weeks ago but was held back from 11-on-11 drills due to an abundance of caution. Buckner told reporters Tuesday he was only cleared Monday after he suffered a herniated disc and pinched nerve in his neck that required surgery and sidelined him for seven of the final eight games of the year.
“(Jones) will be a day-by-day thing, but he’s been cleared to go and cleared to do everything,” Ballard said. “Buckner is kinda in the same boat. Once he had surgery, it was, ‘Okay, what do I need to do to get back?’ He’s in a good frame of mind.
“We’ll work him back slowly. Buck’s had some years in the league, so we would take care of him anyways, but we’ll work him back and get him ready.”
Joel A. Erickson and Nathan Brown cover the Colts all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Colts Insider newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Colts GM Chris Ballard updated the status of injured WR Alec Pierce
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“He’s not active right now. He’s on PUP and that’s kinda a day-by-day thing,” Ballard told reporters Tuesday. “I’m not gonna make a prediction one way or another. I learned a long time ago with another certain player (in reference to retired Colts QB Andrew Luck) that you don’t make predictions.
“I’m not a doctor so we’ll just play it by ear and see how it goes.”
For now, Ballard said, the 26-year-old wideout is still “a week or two away.”
“He’s making great progress. He’s worked at it, and I don’t foresee it being a major issue,” Ballard continued. “Of course, we’d like to have him right now but Pierce is working his butt off, and he’ll be ready to go when he’s completely cleared.”
Days after the end of the 2025 season where he led Indianapolis in receiving yards with 1,003 on 47 catches and six touchdowns while leading the league in yards per catch (21.3) for the second year running, Pierce received a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection that he and doctors hoped would relieve him of the pain he played with for the entire season.
Doctors needed up to eight weeks to know whether the injection had worked, so Pierce couldn’t opt for surgery until that window had closed. By mid-March, the pain persisted, and so not long after signing the richest free agent wide receiver contract in NFL history, Pierce had surgery rather than wait another 11 months and potentially playing another season on the injury.
“We all want the date to be as early as possible but you kinda have to let your body guide yourself and see how you feel,” Pierce told reporters of his rehab process in June. “What I’ve learned with rehab is the more you overdo it, the more it can be counter-productive. I’m learning when to push through the pain and soreness and when to back off."
When asked Tuesday about pursuing a veteran free agent receiver to add from the Colts’ $31 million cap space – former Chargers veteran Keenan Allen is among the best fits available – Ballard told reporters any decision on filling out the team’s wide receiver room would be made independent Pierce’s health in the coming weeks.
“I don’t think right now, but at some point, we’ll evaluate that as we go along,” Ballard said. “We’ll probably talk through some of those guys.”
C.J. Allen injury update
Joining Pierce on the PUP list to start training camp is the Colts’ top draft pick from April, second-round linebacker CJ Allen, who Ballard said Tuesday has a muscle strain in his calf the rookie suffered during a workout since the close of mini-camp six weeks ago.
“We don’t think it’s going to be long,” Ballard said of the time the Colts expect Allen to be sidelined. “But we’re going to take some precautions here. We don’t want it to linger, so we started him on PUP. We expect him back pretty quickly.”
Daniel Jones, DeForest Buckner to be monitored
The Colts will continue to monitor the health of two of the team’s captains and veteran voices on both sides of the ball in starting quarterback Daniel Jones and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner. They have been cleared to return to the field for the start of camp Wednesday after seeing their 2025 campaigns cut short due to injury. Jones participated in 7-on-7 action during mandatory mini-camp six weeks ago but was held back from 11-on-11 drills due to an abundance of caution. Buckner told reporters Tuesday he was only cleared Monday after he suffered a herniated disc and pinched nerve in his neck that required surgery and sidelined him for seven of the final eight games of the year.
“(Jones) will be a day-by-day thing, but he’s been cleared to go and cleared to do everything,” Ballard said. “Buckner is kinda in the same boat. Once he had surgery, it was, ‘Okay, what do I need to do to get back?’ He’s in a good frame of mind.
“We’ll work him back slowly. Buck’s had some years in the league, so we would take care of him anyways, but we’ll work him back and get him ready.”
Joel A. Erickson and Nathan Brown cover the Colts all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Colts Insider newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Colts GM Chris Ballard updated the status of injured WR Alec Pierce
Continue reading...
