The Houston Texans have all but established themselves as the class of the AFC South as they enter the 2025 campaign as the division's back-to-back regular season champions. While going 10-7 over the course of a 17-game schedule is nothing to discredit, it seems safe to say that CJ Stroud and company would prefer to be in a better standing with regard to the team's potential path to a Super Bowl this season once things are all said and done.
One of the ways that the Texans can do that is to continue making improvements to their roster when the opportunity presents itself, and NFL Draft weekend is certainly the time during the league's offseason calendar to do just that. Unfortunately, that could mean one piece of the puzzle that has been around for years may be leaving Houston in his rearview mirror.
Texans RB Dameon Pierce on Thin Ice Heading Into Day 2 of the NFL Draft
Despite the fact that a pair of rushers came off the board during the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, running back continues to be one of the most devalued positions on the offensive side of the ball. The wear and tear that goes hand-in-hand with playing the position has, largely, scared teams away from investing substantial amounts of money into veterans who could be one hit away from a drastically different career outlook, as Texans veteran Dameon Pierce can relate to.
With Pierce entering the final season of the four-year, $4.4 million contract he signed after Houston selected him with the No. 107 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, his fit in the Texans backfield moving forward is anything but certain. Unfortunately, injury issues have plagued the former Florida Gators standout for much of his professional career and that only opens the door for questions concerning his durability as he gets older.
From a financial perspective, it wouldn't hurt Houston in any way to let him play out his contract and walk as a free agent in 2026. He is set to make $1.1 million this season which is less than 0.5% of the team's total cap number so there is no real harm in taking a wait and see approach, especially given the fact that Joe Mixon has solidified himself as the team's starter in the backfield.
There are no doubts that Pierce is looking over his shoulder when it comes to his place in the Texans' running back room. In reality, this could be the best possible scenario for Houston as a motivated Pierce will be playing for his next contract, whether that be in Houston or elsewhere in the NFL, and whatever contributions he can make should only lighten the load for Mixon and the rest of this offense.
Change is inevitable in sports much like it is in life. The biggest difference between the good teams and the bad teams is how they adapt to that change, whatever it may be, in order to best position themselves for success.
This is Pierce's opportunity to show the NFL what he is capable of. For Houston, it is a low-risk, high-reward type of situation they find themselves in with the veteran rusher. While I know I don't speak for Texans fans, the spot that Houston is in with regard to Pierce seems like a pretty good position to be in.