As the Indianapolis Colts offense continues to shock the NFL, it may have lost one of it’s wide receivers in Alec Pierce, who exited the game in the third quarter with an apparent concussion. Pierce lifted off on a deep ball as he nearly made a remarkable catch, but as he grabbed the ball sandwiched in a double team, he came down hard as his head snapped down against the ground.
A gnarly looking collision sent Pierce to the injury tent on the sideline, and just a few minutes after he was listed as questionable to return, he was ruled out as he entered the concussion protocol.
Before his exit, Pierce had made four catches for 67 yards and was a main target for Daniel Jones on deep passes.
Pierce’s Injury History
If Pierce is officially diagnosed with a concussion, it will be the third of his NFL career. He has sustained two grade one concussions so far as a Colt, the first one coming in September of 2022 and the second in December of last season.
In a time where concussions are treated very carefully, it wouldn’t be a shock if Pierce misses at least a week or two if not more, especially considering he has a history of head injuries. The injury certainly looked brutal enough to be graded a concussion.
Pierce has played a moderately limited role so far this season, but does have nine catches for a total of 171 yards through week three. He’s been a dependable WR2/3 the last few years, and had a career best season in 2024 when he caught 37 passes for 824 yards and seven touchdowns. He averaged well over 20 yards per reception in 2024, highlighting how highly the Colts look at him as a real deep threat.
In Pierce’s four NFL seasons, he has 119 receptions for 2,102 yards and has caught 11 touchdowns.
Indianapolis WR Room Has Depth
The Colts passing game has been successful so far because of it’s versatility and depth. Indianapolis doesn’t have a true No. 1 receiver, but even without Pierce, they still have Michael Pittman, Josh Downs and Adonai Mitchell, as well as RB Jonathan Taylor and TE Tyler Warren who have been big factors as pass catchers for Jones.
If Pierce does miss significant time, expect the Colts to turn to second year receiver Adonai Mitchell for more targets. The 2024 second rounder was outstanding in college and has been reliable so far in his NFL career, though he hasn’t been turned to as much as most thought he would be.
Downs will likely become the best deep ball target for Jones without Pierce, as Pittman doesn’t offer as much speed downfield and is more successful as a short pass target.
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