Alec Pierce was having a monster game for the Indianapolis Colts in their Week 18 contest against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, on Sunday, until getting ejected.
The Colts had the ball at the Houston 6-yard line late in the third quarter. Quarterback Riley Leonard targeted Pierce in the end zone, but Pierce caught it out of bounds. The Colts wide receiver protested to the nearby official, trying to say he was pushed out.
Pierce made contact with field judge Jabir Walker during the exchange, so Walker ejected Pierce.
Alec Pierce has been disqualified pic.twitter.com/v5QiRjlQj1
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) January 4, 2026
Pierce was having arguably the best game of his career to that point. He finished the contest with 4 catches for 132 yards and 2 touchdowns. He had scored on a 66-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter.
Riley Leonard threw a 66-yard touchdown pass to Alec Pierce. pic.twitter.com/n1cMJgdype
— Horseshoe Mob Podcast (@HSMobPodcast) January 4, 2026
Making contact with an official triggers an automatic ejection, which is why Pierce was disqualified. Players need to give officials space even when protesting calls, and Pierce learned that the hard way.
