Colts' Shane Steichen Gives Alec Pierce Update for Week 1

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce returned to practice two weeks ago following surgery on his left ankle/heel in March.

His recovery remained on the originally stated four-to-six-month timeline, but he missed the entirety of training camp as a result.

With Pierce's recent ease back into practice ahead of the regular season, he began practicing in full last week, and now, head coach Shane Steichen said Pierce should be "good to go" for the Colts' regular-season opener this Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens.

“Yeah, he should be good," Steichen told reporters on Monday. "We'll get him some reps in practice this week, just like he took reps last week, and he's feeling really good.”

Pierce signed a new four-year, $114 million contract in the offseason to become the team's top wide receiver after four years of being a complementary piece.

The Colts traded former top target Michael Pittman Jr. away this offseason, meaning Pierce will begin to absorb more duties with routes closer to the line of scrimmage rather than focusing mainly on vertical or downfield routes.

Pierce has never finished higher than third on the team in pass targets during his career, even as he set a new career high last year with 84, which finished fourth, so his new role is relatively uncharted territory for him, which may take some getting used to.

Pierce and Colts quarterback Daniel Jones had a strong connection last season, connecting 38 times for 769 yards and two touchdowns in their 11 games together, but both players spent much of the offseason recovering from injuries, as Jones' season ended in Week 14 with an Achilles injury.

With both players recovering, and Pierce ultimately working into a new role, Steichen is unphased about the two catching up to where they were in 2025.

“Yeah, I think obviously, working out the kinks last week, getting him back in, throwing routes on the side too as well – not in team drills, but them just throwing on the side and getting those reps as well this week in practice will be big," Steichen said. "But obviously, they had a good connection last year, and I think both those guys are veterans that kind of know each other really well. So, we're looking forward to that.”

Baltimore is an interesting opponent right out of the gate for the Colts. They finished 30th in overall pass defense (247.9 YPG) last year, but they will have a new defense this season, led by first-year head coach Jesse Minter and defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver.

The Colts faced both Minter and Weaver last year, while Minter was the defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Chargers, and Weaver held the same post with the Miami Dolphins.

Jones and Pierce connected six times for 134 yards (22.3 avg.) in those matchups.

The Colts host the Ravens at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS.