Colts place Alec Pierce on injured reserve with heel injury

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce is expected to miss several weeks after aggravating the surgically repaired heel he injured earlier this year, and the team has placed him on injured reserve. Coach Shane Steichen announced the move Wednesday, which means Pierce must miss at least four games. The Colts also agreed to sign veteran receiver Darius Slayton, according to multiple reports, as they address Pierce’s absence. Pierce injured the heel during Indianapolis’ overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. He left in the first quarter after playing 17 snaps. The injury affects the same heel that underwent surgery in March, and his recovery from that procedure extended into the preseason. Pierce returned to the active roster on August 27, shortly before the season began. Pierce is expected to try rehabilitation rather than undergo another operation, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Rapoport said a return around midseason was possible, while describing that timing as a best-case outcome.