The Indianapolis Colts begin the 2026 season at home at Lucas Oil Stadium against the Baltimore Ravens, and one of the big concerns going into the season is whether wide receiver Alec Pierce will be available for the first games. Thankfully, he will. But in what manner exactly?
The receiver had ankle surgery in March, a couple of weeks after re-signing on a four-year deal worth as much as $114 million. He had initially injured his ankle at some point last season, it appears, played through the injury (and quite well, mind you), but then had surgery to fully correct the problem.
That caused him to miss minicamp, all of training camp, and the preseason. He returned to practice very recently and was even listed as limited in practice leading up to Week 1. Head coach Shane Steichen didn't initially rule anyone out for the game, but that changed on Saturday, with linebacker Austin Ajiake being made not available due to a hamstring issue.
Alec Pierce is expected to play for the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1
Steichen made it clear on Friday that Pierce would play against the Ravens, but refused to say whether the wide receiver would be limited in any way. The coach said the team would have to see how the game unfolded to make a decision on how many plays Pierce would get.
Of course, maybe the hope is that Indy is so far ahead in the game that Pierce doesn't need to play the entire game. If the score is, say, 58-0 at halftime, the team can send Pierce home before the second half begins, and he can watch the rest of the game with his feet up on his couch. That would be the best-case (and unrealistic) scenario.
The realistic scenario is likely that Alec Pierce plays as expected, but that he will be limited in some way. It would be odd for him to be limited in practice and then play an entire game in Week 1. That is possible, of course, but it seems like a stretch.
Having Pierce on the field should make the Indianapolis Colts' offense dangerous, even if he doesn't have a massively productive game. The Ravens have to account for Pierce's explosiveness, even if he actually isn't capable of the same level of explosiveness he has had during his career to date. At least not in Week 1.
The Colts need to name their inactives an hour and a half before kickoff, or around 11:30 am ET. Alec Pierce isn't expected to be among that group, but just to be sure, this article will be updated with the latest information.
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