Unless Houston Texans fans have been living under a rock for the last couple of months, it’s not breaking news that the Texans will be without starting running back Joe Mixon for at least the first month of the 2025 season.
In his place goes the newly acquired Nick Chubb, fourth-round rookie Woody Marks, and now fourth-year back Dameon Pierce. The primary focus should be on how the Texans find a way to be effective in the run game in the interim. However, there is an underlying storyline present that is the lowest-hanging fruit.
It’s about Pierce and whether or not this month-plus stretch will be his final audition for a long-term spot on this ascending roster.
How Did the Texans Get Here?
Being selected in the 4th round in 2022 out of Florida, Pierce joined a Texans team that was sorely in need of a punch in the rushing department. The season before, they were ranked dead last in yards per game (83.6) and yards per carry (3.4). Rex Burkhead led the way with 122 carries, 427 yards, and 3 touchdowns.
For reference, quarterback Tyrod Taylor tied him at three for the team rushing TD lead. Those were dark times.
Then, with Pierce in the backfield, the Texans marginally improved their numbers to 86.8 yards per game and 3.7 yards per attempt. This helped them jump from worst in the league the year before, all the way to... second-worst, only behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Pierce was the tip of the spear, leading the team with 939 rushing yards and four TDs, punctuated by two season-defining plays. One was the scorching 75-yard TD run against the Los Angeles Chargers, and the other was his Angry Run Award-winning carry against the Jacksonville Jaguars just a game later.
Unfortunately, Pierce's season was cut short due to a high ankle sprain suffered in Week 14 against the Dallas Cowboys. This landed him on injured reserve at a time when he was in the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year conversations and led all rookies in scrimmage yards at 1,104.
Though Pierce did indeed make an impact in his rookie campaign, Texans fans didn’t realize at the time that injuries and concerns of consistency would virtually become synonymous with the back. From then on, it became an uphill battle to prove that he could be the long-term answer at the position.
Texans RB Dameon Pierce Has Become Expendable in Houston
Midway through the 2023 NFL season, Pierce was hit yet again with an ankle injury, knocking him out for three games. This, combined with inconsistent play early in the year, led to replacement RB Devin Singletary filling in more than admirably in Pierce's place.
In fact, Singletary rushed for a career best of 150 yards in a pivotal win on the road against Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 10. The offense never looked back. The team then went on to make the playoffs and stunningly dominated the Cleveland Browns.
That effectively spelled the end of any hope of Pierce's run as RB1 for the franchise. Because, in the 2024 offseason, the Texans traded for then-Bengals RB Joe Mixon for a seventh-round pick. They followed that up with handing Mixon a three-year, $27 million contract extension ($13 million guaranteed). This would end up snowballing from there, as Pierce finished the ‘24 season with career lows in carries per game (3.6) and rushing yards (293).
Will 2025 Be Pierce's Last Dance with the Texans?
With this being the final year of his four-year rookie deal, Pierce has every incentive to put some good ball on film. Mixon is out, Chubb is still working his way back from multiple season-ending injuries, and Marks is a rookie. Despite that, Pierce is still considered a “wait and see” RB3.
Pierce could make a little noise for himself, given the questions at running back to start this new season. Or, Chubb and Marks will team up and actually produce effectively at the position, ultimately eliminating any real shot that Pierce has at showing he should remain on the roster after the trade deadline.
It’s a sad reality, but the NFL really does stand for “Not for Long” at times. Pierce looked like a bright spot for the franchise all of three seasons ago. Now, he looks like a player who might be playing his last set of downs for the Texans.
Here’s hoping for more 70-plus yard runs for Pierce's future. They just may not happen in NRG Stadium, though.