Oct 13, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Houston Texans running back Dameon Pierce (31) reacts after scoring a touchdown against the New England Patriots during the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images Brian Fluharty
The Eagles apparently attempted to make a relatively notable addition over the weekend, but were unsuccessful in their quest.
According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 — the NBC affiliate in Houston — the Eagles did try to both trade for and sign Dameon Pierce, who was recently released by the Texans. He'll instead wind up on the practice squad of the Kansas City Chiefs:
#Eagles general manager Howie Roseman made strong push for former #Texans running back Dameon Pierce, including personal call over weekend, per source, previously made trade inquiry to Houston, but no deal got worked out. Today, he travels to Kansas City to sign #Chiefs @KPRC2 https://t.co/z7FhXq6pf2
Pierce has had a strange career to this point.
He was a fourth-round pick out of Florida in the 2022 NFL Draft, and rushed for 939 yards in his rookie season, looking like a budding star.
However, the the Texans fired Lovie Smith after a 3-13-1 campaign in 2022, ultimately hiring DeMeco Ryans. While that's helped to turn the franchise around, Pierce has never had the same level of success as a rusher that he did in his rookie season. He's rushed for 735 total yards since the start of the 2023 campaign, falling behind veteran options like Devin Singletary, Joe Mixon and Nick Chubb on the depth chart in recent years.
So why were the Eagles interested in Pierce? While running backs can burn out quickly, Pierce is still only 25 years old. It's possible the Eagles thought he would be an upgrade over Will Shipley and/or AJ Dillon in their running back room. Perhaps more of note after an ugly day on special teams for the Eagles is that Pierce has experience as a kick returner, which might be his most valuable trait right now given how little impact he's made recently as a running back.
In any event, Pierce will not be joining the Eagles, as he's instead signing with the practice squad of the Chiefs. One would think it was strongly hinted to Pierce, if not outright guaranteed, that he'll be promoted to the 53-man roster for game day. By virtue of the fact that they don't employ Saquon Barkley — and that Isiah Pacheco has been out with an MCL sprain — Pierce probably sees a clearer path to getting carries in Kansas City.
