The Indianapolis Colts have already had their share of injuries in training camp and the preseason. The secondary has been down multiple players for a while. Hopefully, by Week 1 of the regular season, enough quality players will be ready to go against the Miami Dolphins.
How good Indy is this year will be predicated by the quarterback player to a great degree. This is the same with every team, of course. Some teams know better what they can expect from the QB position, though. The Colts have no real guarantee.
But to help whoever the quarterback is play their best, Indianapolis needs consistently healthy skill position players. Running back Jonathan Taylor needs to play the majority of games. Michael Pittman needs to stay healthy, but he needs his fellow receivers to stay that way, too.
Indianapolis Colts catch a break with Alec Pierce's recent injury
One player entering his fourth season in the NFL who has created a bunch of splash plays but hasn't proven he can consistently do much else is wide receiver Alec Pierce. The good news is that Pierce has seemingly had his best training camp. He has not only shown he can go deep, but he can be productive on crossing routes as well.
But then an injury hit Pierce in training camp, and worry set in. He suffered some level of groin injury, and that kind of injury can be exceedingly detrimental to a player who relies on speed to be extremely productive. As banged-up as the Colts' secondary has been, the question might have come up whether the receiver group was next.
Now, for the great news. While Alec Pierce might miss a practice or four, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, Pierce's injury is not serious. He is day-to-day and might be back as soon as the joint practice that Indy has on Thursday with the Green Bay Packers. If not, at least well before Week 1.
Pierce might be in for a breakout season for the Indianapolis Colts. He has averaged 17.6 yards per catch in three years, but has only caught 110 passes. That is a decent season for top-end receivers. Pierce might never get to that level, but he has proven to be one of the most explosive wideouts in the NFL. After all, 10 percent of his career catches have been for touchdowns.
If Alec Pierce reaches 70 catches in 2025, he could easily exceed 1,000 yards and more than 10 touchdown receptions. As a real threat opposite Michael Pittman, Indianapolis Colts quarterbacks Anthony Richardson or Daniel Jones are going to have an easier job. Thankfully, Pierce appears to be healthy enough to help them.