The Indianapolis Colts kept telling fans that wide receiver Alec Pierce's ankle or heel injury was fine, and that the player was just working his way back to get ready for the season. Pierce was doing that, but fans should be asking whether he was fully ready and whether Indy should have had him on the field. The team did the same thing with quarterback Daniel Jones last year.
In Week 2, Pierce re-injured his same ankle or heel (the team hasn't been exceedingly clear what the actual problem is) in Week 2. X-rays were negative after the receiver had to be carted to the locker room after he couldn't put any weight on his leg in the first half, but more testing will be needed.
He didn't break a bone, but he might have a soft tissue injury, the same one he had surgery on in March. The team should have more information early this week, but based on how Pierce looked leaving the field, he should be expected to miss some time.
Indianapolis Colts fans have a right to be upset about how the team handled Alec Pierce's injury
The wide receiver re-signed with the Colts in early March to a four-year deal worth as much as $114 million. A couple of weeks later he had surgery on his ankle or heel due to an injury he appears to have suffered last season. He rightly missed training camp and the preseason, and then returned to practice just a week over when the real games began.
He was limited in Week 1, clearly indicating he was not 100 percent, and then tried to play fully in Week 2. He didn't last a half before getting hurt. Pierce probably shouldn't have been on the field.
Last season, Daniel Jones broke his fibula around Week 10 but continued to play. His "toughness" was praised, though the QB was obviously limited in his ability to run. A few weeks later, he tore his Achilles tendon in his other leg. Did one injury lead to another? Maybe, but Jones probably shouldn't have been allowed to play on his broken leg.
Also, last season, cornerback Charvarius Ward suffered a concussion early, and then another soon after returning. He likely should have been kept out for quite a while after suffering two brain injuries so close together. Instead, he played and had a third concussion.
Players are going to want to play because their livelihoods depend on it. Smart teams keep players from further injuring themselves. The Indianapolis Colts are not a smart team, as players return too soon and then get hurt. At least, that is how it appears.
Yet, general manager Chris Ballard and head coach Shane Steichen will act as if stupid questions are being asked about the severity of injuries, and give responses such as there is a plan in place, and things are going well in the ailments being rehabilitated, and there is no firm timeline for a player returning but they should do so soon.
The truth is that Ballard and Steichen aren't doctors. They can't even run a football team very well. Players are playing with injuries when it seems as if they shouldn't, and the decision-makers in Indy are saving the players from themselves, perhaps because Ballard and Steichen are desperate to make the playoffs in 2026 or lose thier jobs.
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