The Indianapolis Colts are preparing for an extended stretch without wide receiver Alec Pierce and have added veteran Darius Slayton to help absorb the loss.
Pierce is expected to miss several weeks after aggravating the heel injury that required offseason surgery. The current plan is for him to attempt rehabilitation rather than immediately undergo another operation, with a midseason return viewed as possible if that approach works. Indianapolis is also expected to consider injured reserve, which would guarantee at least a four-game absence.
The injury outlook is materially different from the immediate postgame picture. FSN previously reported that Pierce exited the Colts-Chiefs game with a heel injury to his surgically repaired foot before the team had a timetable or treatment plan.
Pierce will try rehab before another surgery
Pierce underwent surgery in March after dealing with ankle and heel discomfort during the 2025 season. The recovery kept him on the physically unable to perform list through most of training camp, and the Colts activated him Aug. 27 before ramping him back toward the regular season.
He returned for Week 1, but the heel again became a concern during Week 2 preparation. Pierce missed Thursday’s practice, returned as a full participant Friday and entered the Kansas City game without an injury designation. He then left the game after aggravating the same area.
The new recovery plan gives Indianapolis more clarity than it had Sunday night. Pierce is not expected back quickly, and another surgery remains a possibility if rehabilitation does not produce enough progress. That makes his status a multi-week roster issue rather than a routine game-to-game question.
Indianapolis adds Darius Slayton to stabilize receiver depth
The Colts responded by agreeing to add Darius Slayton, the veteran wide receiver who spent his first seven NFL seasons with the New York Giants. Slayton gives Indianapolis an experienced outside receiver with a skill set that can help preserve some vertical stress on opposing defenses while Pierce is unavailable.
Slayton also brings built-in familiarity with Colts quarterback Daniel Jones. The two played together in New York from 2019 through 2024, which should reduce the learning curve compared with adding a receiver who has no previous timing or route-history connection with the quarterback.
FSN covered the Giants’ decision to release Slayton before Week 1. His move to Indianapolis now gives him a chance to step directly into a receiver room that suddenly needs experienced snaps.
Slayton does not have to duplicate Pierce’s entire role
Pierce’s biggest value to the Colts is his ability to win vertically. He led the NFL in yards per reception in both 2024 and 2025 and topped 1,000 receiving yards last season, giving Indianapolis a field-stretching threat that affects coverage even when he is not targeted.
Slayton has also been used as a downfield receiver during his career, but Indianapolis does not need a one-for-one replacement to make the signing useful. The Colts can distribute Pierce’s workload among Slayton, Josh Downs, Keenan Allen, the tight ends and running backs while adjusting the passing game to the personnel available.
The Colts’ receiver depth is being tested early
Pierce’s absence arrives at a difficult point for an offense that entered the season expecting him to be a major part of the passing game. The Colts committed to Pierce with a new contract during the offseason, then spent much of the summer managing his recovery from the March procedure.
Now the priority changes from getting Pierce fully ramped up to making sure the heel can tolerate another return to football activity. A failed rehab attempt could reopen the surgery discussion and push his return deeper into the season.
For Indianapolis, Slayton provides an immediate veteran option while that process plays out. The next meaningful Pierce update will be whether he is formally placed on injured reserve and how the heel responds during the early stages of rehabilitation.