Houston Texans Waive RB Dameon Pierce

The Houston Texans waived running back Dameon Pierce on Thursday, ending the 25-year-old's tenure with the team that drafted him in the fourth round out of Florida in 2022. The move, made hours before the Texans' Thursday night matchup against the Buffalo Bills, cleared space on the 53-man roster for cornerback Ajani Carter, elevated from the practice squad, along with safety Jalen Mills and linebacker Jackson Woodard for the game.

Pierce burst onto the NFL scene as a rookie in 2022, leading the Texans with 939 rushing yards on 220 carries, averaging 4.3 yards per attempt, and adding 165 receiving yards for 1,104 total yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns in 13 games. That performance, which outpaced his college output of 1,104 yards and five scores in 13 games with the Gators, positioned him as a cornerstone of Houston's backfield. However, his production declined sharply in subsequent seasons. In 2023, he managed 416 rushing yards while backing up Devin Singletary, who posted 898 yards. The following year, Pierce's role shrank further behind Pro Bowl rusher Joe Mixon, totaling 293 yards on limited carries and averaging 7.3 yards per attempt in 11 games, though a hamstring...