Colts’ Alec Pierce Expected to Miss Multiple Weeks; Darius Slayton Signed for Receiving Depth

The Indianapolis Colts will be without wide receiver Alec Pierce for several weeks after he aggravated a left heel injury during Sunday’s defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs, sources confirmed to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The team moved swiftly to fill the void, agreeing to terms with veteran receiver Darius Slayton.

Pierce will pursue rehabilitation rather than immediate surgery, with a potential midseason return depending on the rehab’s success. Surgical intervention remains a possibility if recovery stalls, and the wideout will likely be placed on injured reserve during his absence.

The aggravated injury involves the same heel that required surgical repair in March, a recovery from which already exceeded initial timelines. Pierce missed training camp and only resumed practice last month.

Signed to a four-year, $114 million deal in March, Pierce was viewed as a cornerstone of the Colts’ offensive plans for the season.

Already depleted at receiver by Ashton Dulin’s ankle injury, the Colts agreed to terms with free agent Slayton on Monday night, sources told ESPN. A 2019 Giants draft classmate of Colts quarterback Daniel Jones, Slayton recorded 37 receptions for 538 yards and 12 starts last season.

Without Pierce, the Colts’ offense lacked explosive plays on Sunday. Slayton, at 29, offers the ability to stretch the field, averaging 15 yards per catch over his career, including 14.5 yards last season.

Quarterback Daniel Jones has struggled to match last season’s explosiveness, averaging 8.1 yards per attempt in 2025. Through two games this season — Pierce limited in Week 1 and inactive for most of Sunday’s contest — Jones has averaged 6.1 yards per attempt.

Slayton’s best seasons came while sharing the field with Jones in New York, surpassing 700 receiving yards in each of the four seasons they overlapped.

ESPN’s Stephen Holder contributed to this report.

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