Houston Texans Weapon Raises Red Flags With OTA Decision

The Houston Texans kicked off organized team activities on Wednesday, and there were a bunch of veterans who were not in attendance. However, one player's decision stuck out more than anyone else: running back Dameon Pierce.

Pierce is entering a pivotal season with the Texans, as he may ultimately lose his job as the team's No. 2 halfback behind Joe Mixon. Houston selected USC star Woody Marks in the fourth round of the NFL Draft, indicating that the Texans understood their need for a capable backup.

Aside from a brilliant Week 18 performance in which Pierce racked up 176 yards on the ground, he was virtually non-existent in 2024, amassing 293 rushing yards and a couple of touchdowns in total.

That is not what Houston had been expecting from Pierce, who was actually the team's starting running back in 2022 when he registered 939 yards and four scores.

With Joe Mixon nursing an injury right now, the thought was that Pierce would be the top running back heading into camp, or at least have a shot at competing with Marks for that role. Instead, Pierce is not even present for the start of OTAs.

Could that mean Pierce is on the move? He definitely seems like a potential trade candidate. Or perhaps he is unhappy with the Texans? We can't really speculate that far, but it is definitely a rather odd decision for a player who is fighting for his roster spot.

Pierce's production has been dipping ever since his rookie campaign, so his days in Houston could be numbered. The fact that he was absent for the start of organized team activities could be much ado about nothing, but there is no question that it should raise some eyebrows.