The Houston Texans are looking to find their stride on offense and it starts with a formidable running game. The Texans added Joe Mixon to anchor the rushing attack last year and he turned in a solid season with 1,016 yards and 11 touchdowns. While Mixon was effective, he didn’t have much help as no other Texans running back had over 300 yards.
The selection of USC’s Woody Marks in the fourth round of April’s draft gave Mixon a new running mate, but it appears they aren’t done. Houston’s interest in a former All-Pro to add depth to the position shows they’d like to add another back before camp and get rid of an underperforming veteran as the team approaches training camp.
Texans Rumors Surrounding Nick Chubb Puts Dameon Pierce on the Chopping Block
According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, the Texans are interested in signing Nick Chubb to pair with Mixon next season. While no deal is imminent, Schwager reports there is interest from both sides and that Chubb hopes to sign with a team soon.
Chubb isn’t the All-Pro he was earlier in his career when he ran for over 1,000 yards and earned a second team honor in 2022. But he adds a physical presence that Dameon Pierce has failed to deliver since a standout rookie season.
A fourth-round pick by the Texans in the 2022 NFL Draft, Pierce ran for 939 yards and four touchdowns in his rookie season, but it came with a meager 4.3 yards per carry. When DeMeco Ryans arrived in 2023, Pierce took a backseat to Devin Singletary, gaining just 416 yards and two touchdowns on 145 carries – an average of 2.9 yards per carry.
Pierce’s ineptitude persuaded the Texans to bring Mixon in on a trade with the Cincinnati Bengals last offseason and he couldn’t even get on the field with 40 carries for 293 yards and two touchdowns. The majority of that production came in the Week 18 victory over the Tennessee Titans when Pierce ran for 176 yards and a touchdown in a game that primarily featured backups.
The addition of Marks put Pierce on the chopping block entering OTAs. But adding Chubb would make it virtually impossible to crack the roster. It could leave the Texans with two new faces in the backfield and Pierce looking for a fresh start somewhere else.