Alec Pierce activated off PUP, racing to be ready for Colts' Week 1

Alec Pierce's summer has been one long ankle watch, and Thursday it finally moved in the right direction. The Colts activated their No. 1 receiver off the active/PUP list, clearing him to practice for the first time all camp, with Adam Schefter and mchappell51 both confirming the move.

Pierce underwent ankle surgery back in March after a PRP injection failed to fix the problem, an issue that reportedly dated back to the end of the 2024 season and only got worse during his breakout 2025 campaign. The timing mattered beyond just his health, too — the Colts had signed him to a 4-year, $116 million extension with $60 million guaranteed right before the surgery, making him one of the highest-paid receivers in football before he'd played a single snap on the new deal.

Once word started circulating this week that Pierce might be nearing a return, fans didn't exactly trust it. Every clip of him walking around the facility got picked apart in real time, with the internet openly mocking the idea that a guy strolling to a meeting room proves anything about a surgically repaired ankle two weeks before the season.

That skepticism wasn't just internet noise — even football doctors were flagging the tight window. But Thursday's move off PUP changes the calculus, since it means the Colts avoided the reserve/PUP designation that would've forced a mandatory 4-game absence to start the season. Being activated now buys Pierce two-plus weeks of real practice reps before Indianapolis opens the year at home against the Ravens on Sept. 13.

Schefter, appearing on the Pat McAfee Show, made clear the Colts always viewed this as the plan rather than a surprise development, saying it's now time for Pierce to ramp up and that his early look suggests he can help the team on opening day.

Pierce broke through in 2025 with a career-high 1,003 receiving yards on 47 catches and 6 touchdowns, cementing himself as Anthony Richardson's or whoever's under center's top downfield weapon in Indianapolis. Losing him for any real chunk of the season would gut the Colts' passing attack right out of the gate — which is exactly why every walk, every rep and every ramp-up update is getting this much attention two weeks out from kickoff.