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When is Alec Pierce coming back? Will Alec Pierce play again this season? Read about Alec Pierce's return date and injury updates for 2026.
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce (heel) is currently on injured reserve due to a heel injury he suffered in Week 2.
It was the result of him working his way back too quickly from an offseason ankle surgery. He rushed back to practice and play despite not being fully healthy.
He was placed on injured reserve starting with Week 3, and players on IR are required to miss at least four games. He's past that mark now, so what's the latest on his injury? When will he return and what's his fantasy football outlook when he's back?
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Alec Pierce Injury Update for Fantasy Football
Pierce was technically eligible to return to play in Week 7, but he remains on injured reserve currently. Colts head coach Shane Steichen recently updated us with the latest news: that he's unlikely to practice at all in Week 8, and his practice window will not be opened.
It's unclear exactly when he'll return. Considering that the Colts are staring down the barrel of a lost season, they should opt to keep him out for longer to let him actually fully heal this time.
Back in August, Colts head coach Shane Steichen spoke positively about Pierce's progress in his recovery from the offseason surgery he had. The tone is a bit different now.
Shane Steichen indicates Alec Pierce could be back on the practice field this week. https://t.co/HNAch4eENO
— Matt Taylor (@MayTayColts) August 25, 2026
My analysis indicates that if this were a season in which the Colts looked competitive, Pierce would be rushed back yet again from his injury. But considering the team is just 2-5 with a loss to the previously winless Tennessee Titans, their WR1 will be given more time to work his way back.
A practice window opening in Week 9 with a Week 10 return seems reasonable. The Colts have a bye in Week 13, but he shouldn't need that long to recover.
Alec Pierce Fantasy Football Outlook
Pierce is an awesome deep threat of a receiver that's improved every season he's been in the league. But the offense is in a horrible state right now -- starting quarterback Daniel Jones has struggled mightily after his Achilles tendon tear late last season.
He hasn't improved as the weeks have gone on, either. Instead, he's regressed massively. He's thrown for four touchdowns and rushed for one while committing 10 turnovers, yet has retained his starting position with the team.
HARRISON SMITH GETS THE INT! VIKINGS ARE 6-0 ‼️ https://t.co/stul8J8hWe
— NFL (@NFL) October 25, 2026
Jones has never been a good processor or had very good vision as a quarterback, and that's showing this season more than ever. He's likely a big reason why Colts general manager Chris Ballard was fired recently. Steichen has constantly had to clean up after the mess he's made.
Jones should improve when Pierce comes back, but the signs right now aren't very encouraging for Pierce having a huge season. Still, he'll probably get a sizable target share and is a good enough wideout to cover for his quarterback's deficiencies.
DANNY DIMES DEEP BALL TO ALEC PIERCE.
ATLvsIND on @NFLNetwork
Also streaming on @NFLPlus https://t.co/offSgAe7ul— NFL (@NFL) November 9, 2025
If he can return to full health, he can push into WR2 upside thanks to his deep ball ability. Jones' deep passing has been off target more often than not this season, though, so there's a lot of risk in starting Pierce on a weekly basis.
For now, he should be held on to in fantasy football leagues.
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Week 8 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players: Stefon Diggs, Jonah Coleman, Omar Cooper Jr., KC Concepcion Jr. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 8.
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Improvements For Who Should I Start? You may have noticed that our 'Who Should I Start?' tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your fantasy football matchups each week. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, stats, projections, strength of schedule, player news, and enhanced search results with data to compare with a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
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Popular Week 8 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 8 (2026)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Week 8 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Start tool for Week 8 for Stefon Diggs, Jonah Coleman, Omar Cooper Jr., KC Concepcion Jr.:
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