Texans' Dameon Pierce: Lone back under contract

Pierce finished the 2023 campaign with 145 carries for 416 yards and two touchdowns along with 13 receptions (17 targets) for 101 receiving yards over 14 regular-season games.

A promising rookie in 2022, Pierce lost the starting job to Devin Singletary and fell to third on the depth chart by the season's end. Including the two postseason games, Pierce had 19 carries for 34 yards over the Texans' final seven contests. He suffered a midseason ankle injury, but the main reason for his downfall was an inability to adjust to a running scheme installed under the new coaching regime. Pierce enters the offseason as the only running back under contract, but the Texans are expected to add competition. That could be re-signing Singletary or adding another high-profile back in free agency or the draft.