Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce is expected to miss several weeks after aggravating a left heel injury in Sunday’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs,y to address his absence, agreeing to a deal with veteran Darius Slayton
Pierce will attempt to rehab the injury rather than have surgery,y is still on the table, but that will depend on the success of the rehab. It’s likely the wideout will be placed on injured reserve while he recovers
The injury is to the same heel that Pierce had surgically repaired in March. His recovery from that procedure stretched longer than expected, with him missing training camp and returning to practice only last month.
Pierce, who signed a four-year, $114 million contract
Pierce, who signed a four-year, $114 million contract in March, was expected to be a centerpiece of the Colts’ offense this season.
The Colts, already thin at receiver because of veteran backup Ashton Dulin’s ankle injury, agreed to terms Monday night with Slayton, a free agent,, alongside current Colts quarterback Daniel Jones, Slayton caught 37 passes for 538 yards last season with New York, starting 12 games
The Colts’ offense struggled to create explosive plays Sunday after Pierce’s injury. But Slayton, even at 29, is seen as a player who could stretch the field. He has averaged a healthy 15 yards per catch in his career, including 14.5 last season.
Far, Jones has had difficulty replicating the explosiveness
So far, Jones has had difficulty replicating the explosiveness he had in the Colts’ offense last season, when he averaged 8.1 yards per attempt. Through two games — with Pierce limited in Week 1 and missing most of Sunday’s game after his injury — Jones has averaged 6.1 yards per attempt.
Slayton had his best seasons while playing alongside Jones in New York. In the four seasons he has played with Jones, at least in part, Slayton has surpassed 700 receiving yards.
ESPN’s Stephen Holder contributed to this report.
Source: www.espn.com
