According to ESPN Senior NFL Insider Adam Schefter, Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce has just been placed on the Active/Physically Unable to Perform list ahead of the opening of training camp. This most likely is due to the lingering effects of ankle surgery that Pierce got in late March that initially provided him a four-six month recovery window. July would be the fourth month, with late September being the back end of the window.
While it doesn't disqualify him from playing in week one and beyond (that would be the Reserve version of the list, which would sideline Pierce for the first four games), it still creates a sense of dread amongst the Colts fan base when considering how the team just awarded Pierce with a brand new $114 million contract in the offseason to keep him at Lucas Oil Stadium for the long haul as their difference maker in the passing game.
That's huge news for the Houston Texans, as the two teams face off in week three in Indianapolis to kick off their annual two-game Divisional series. If he ends up transitioned to the Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform list, then that impending four-game absence could spell disaster for the Colts and an early Christmas for the Texans.
The Texans would miss Pierce in week three if he's unavailable
As a preface, this is not a celebration of a human being dealing with the effects of a major surgery. I hope the best for Pierce and his family in terms of his long-term health and physical condition on and off the field of NFL play.
With that said, Houston just got a potential gift in the form of not having to face Pierce in ther first match up of the season. While the Texans' elite secondary couldn't care less about who suits up against them, the reality is the Colts' offense is much less potent with Pierce not on the field.
Across two games between these two teams last year, the 26-year-old burner in Pierce ignited for eight catches (12 targets), 210 receiving yards, three touchdowns and a reception average of 26.25 yards. Even though both meetings ended with a Texans victory, Pierce definitely stamped himself as a downfield threat when given the right matchups.
If he ends up meeting their week three encounter, I fully expect a heavier dose of running back Jonathan Taylor by Indy as a salve for the absence of Pierce. And while Taylor is a force to be reckoned with himself, I predict it would be a lot easier to bottle up Taylor if you know that quarterback Daniel Jones won't be targeting a 6-foot-3-inch security blanket in the event of a safety biting too hard on a play action pass on the very next down.
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