Alec Pierce was carted off the field with a left heel injury and was ruled out of Sunday’s game after being taken to the locker room. Colts trainers examined Pierce in the team’s blue medical tent, he sat in a cart and was driven off, and ESPN reported X-rays were negative with further evaluation scheduled for Monday. Pierce signed a four-year, $114 million contract this offseason and had been managing a heel issue related to offseason ankle surgery to repair a bone problem. He played only 32 snaps in the season opener while easing back from that surgery and had been listed on the Colts’ injury report for two weeks. Pierce averages more than 21 yards per catch on 84 receptions over the last two seasons, and the Colts rely on his deep-threat ability to stretch defenses and create space for Tyler Warren, Josh Downs and Keenan Allen. With primary backup Laquon Treadwell lacking true deep-threat speed, rookie Deion Burks is the only other outside player with that profile and Ashton Dulin is unavailable due to injury, leaving Indianapolis without an established vertical threat if Pierce misses additional time.
