The Houston Texans have a bell cow running back in Joe Mixon leading the way, and he ultimately made the Pro Bowl this past season for his efforts.
However, Mixon is getting older, and he has a ton of mileage on his legs. As a result, the Texans may need to find some insurance for him, and they clearly don't have a secondary answer on their current roster.
Dameon Pierce was supposed to be the No. 2 back for Houston, but he has been a major disappointment since his impressive rookie campaign in 2022. This past year, Pierce rushed for just 293 yards and a couple of touchdowns, with 176 of those yards coming in the season finale.
Fortunately, this upcoming NFL Draft class is deep at the halfback position, so the Texans will almost certainly select one at some point in a couple of weeks. That could also mean the end for Pierce, and Cem Yolbulan of House of Houston believes that Pierce could be on the chopping block.
"Running back Dameon Pierce and wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson are on thin ice after struggling in their respective roles. Pierce fell behind Dare Ogunbowale in the pecking order, only playing in 16% of the team's offensive snaps," Yolbulan wrote. "... The former fourth-round pick continued his downward trend since flashing a ton of promise as a rookie in 2022. As Pierce enters the fourth and final year of his rookie contract, his future with the Texans remains uncertain."
Pierce has just one year remaining on his deal, so barring a dramatic turnaround, 2025 will represent his last season in Houston anyway.
But there is certainly a possibility that the Texans could attempt to trade him or cut him before next season in order to open up a roster spot, especially considering that it has become blatantly obvious Houston no longer views him as a significant part of the offense.
Texans Signing DB Jalen Pitre To Three-Year, $39M Extension
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports the Texans are signing DB Jalen Pitre to a three-year, $39 million extension.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero adds Pitre will get $29.156 million in guarantees, and he is now the highest-paid nickel back in the league.
Per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, Pitre will get a $10 million signing bonus and the contract has a maximum value of $42.6 million.
Houston has been busy paying defensive backs this offseason, as CB Derek Stingley got a massive $90 million extension while S C.J. Gardner-Johnson was signed in free agency to a two-year deal.
Pitre, 25, was a two-year starter at Baylor. He was a consensus first-team All-American, Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, and a first-team All-Big 12 selection as a senior.
The Texans used the No. 37 overall pick on him in the 2022 NFL Draft. He is currently in the third year of a four-year $8,954,439 rookie contract that includes a $3,692,320 signing bonus.
In 2024, Pitre appeared in 12 games for the Texans and recorded 65 total tackles, six tackles for loss, one forced fumble, one interception and eight pass deflections.
