Running back Dameon Pierce will miss his third straight game due to an ankle injury Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals. But the Houston Texans' second-year running back has taken a significant step toward a return.
Pierce returned to practice Friday morning at NRG Stadium, but the Texans have ruled him out ahead of their Week 11 contest. He sustained the ankle injury during the Texans' 15-13 loss to the Carolina Panthers on Oct. 29.
Devin Singletary has started in Pierce's absence over the previous two games. But whenever the 23-year-old running back returns to the lineup, offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik vowed nothing will change with Pierce and his usage.
“I’ve kind of been saying this for a while — I really believe in having guys that can distribute carries," Slowik said. "I think that keeps you fresh as the game keeps going, especially through the course of a season."
The 2023 season has been a down year for Pierce. Through the first seven games, Pierce has rushed for 327 yards on 109 carries with one touchdown.
“You have 30 carries in multiple games, that adds up fast, and we don’t want to put that on any one player, so it really won’t be any different than it was before,” said Slowik. “I know ‘D.P.’ [Pierce] is working his tail off to try to get back as soon as he can. When that happens, we’ll roll.”
The Texans' Week 4 victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers marked the only game Pierce displayed flashes of the player from his rookie season, where he finished the game with 81 yards on 24 carries. If not for a season-ending ankle injury, Pierce would have finished his rookie year rushing for over 1,000 yards during the 2022 season.
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