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The Indianapolis Colts signed wide receiver Darius Slayton Tuesday after wide receiver Alec Pierce (heel) left Sunday’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, creating an immediate answer to a problem that extends beyond simply replacing targets. Pierce’s absence removes the deep speed that forces defenses to protect the back end, and Slayton must help preserve that element while the Colts await clarity on Pierce’s availability.
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Locked On Colts host Zach Hicks called Pierce one of the club’s most integral players because of the way his vertical routes affect coverage. Hicks said Kansas City challenged Indianapolis’ receivers more aggressively after Pierce exited, leaving Josh Downs as its most reliable answer against man coverage. Pierce’s status for Week 3 and beyond is uncertain after he sustained the heel injury.
Slayton gives Indianapolis a credible downfield option, even if he does not duplicate Pierce’s contested-catch strengths. The 29-year-old wide receiver spent seven seasons with the New York Giants and has 296 career receptions for 4,435 yards and 22 touchdowns. He also arrives with a significant head start alongside Colts quarterback Daniel Jones: the pair entered the NFL together in 2019 and played 64 games as teammates in New York.
Locked On Colts host Jake Arthur described the signing as about as strong an emergency option as the Colts could reasonably find at this stage of the season. Arthur noted Slayton can win deep but has been less dependable in contested situations than Pierce. That distinction matters because Indianapolis needs Slayton to make opponents respect vertical routes, not necessarily to reproduce every part of Pierce’s role.
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Hicks argued the adjustment also puts more responsibility on Downs, who had seven receptions for 72 yards against the Chiefs. His recommendation was to make Downs the offense’s primary volume target while using Slayton to keep safeties from collapsing toward the line of scrimmage and running back Jonathan Taylor. That combination, rather than a one-for-one replacement, is the Colts’ most practical path through Pierce’s absence.
Indianapolis next faces the Houston Texans, and Slayton’s early workload will show how quickly the offense trusts him to assume its downfield role. The Colts do not need him to become Pierce immediately, but they need defenses to account for him immediately.
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This story was originally published September 22, 2026 at 10:40 PM.