Texans OC Nick Caley praised Dameon Pierce for being a “physical, violent runner” in camp.

15 August 2025

It’s the time of year when coaches and front office members alike praise several players on the team, but with Joe Mixon’s (foot) health still a mystery, and Nick Chubb coming off a disappointing 2024 (102-332-3) following his return from a devastating knee injury, it’s fair to assume a role could be had by Pierce if things break right. Pierce rushed for 220-939-4 as a rookie, and averaged an impressive 7.3 YPC on a small sample size (40-293-2) last season. He’s already split first-team reps with Chubb since returning to camp, and Caley added that he’s “had an appreciation for (Pierce) since he came out of college.” At just 25 years old, Pierce may be the most explosive back in an offense that has two 29-year-old backs on the roster. While his rookie year success wasn’t followed with similar success in 2023 or 2024, he could make for an intriguing late-round dart throw in fantasy drafts while this backfield situation attempts to sort itself out.