Who Should I Start? Alec Pierce or Luther Burden III

Wednesday, November 11, 7:46 AM

Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen did not have a positive update on wide receiver Alec Pierce (heel) on Wednesday when he was asked about his chance to return in 2026, according to James Boyd of The Athletic. "We'll see. Like I said last week, he's still in that rehab process, and I'm not going to put a timetable on return," Steichen said. Pierce has been sidelined since Sept. 26 after aggravating his surgically repaired heel, and fantasy managers who have been stashing him in an Injured Reserve spot are beginning to wonder if he will be able to return this year. At 2-7 through the first nine weeks of the season, the Colts have no reason to rush Pierce back, even after trading both Keenan Allen and Josh Downs at Tuesday's deadline. With Pierce still on IR and Allen and Downs out of town, the Colts will go into their Week 10 game against the Miami Dolphins with Laquon Treadwell, Ashton Dulin, and Anthony Gould as their presumed top three receivers. Pierce had his first 1,000-yard season in 2025 in his fourth year in the NFL, and he led the league in yards per reception in each of the last two years, but the 2026 campaign is shaping up to be a lost one for the big-play wideout.