Houston Texans' Dameon Pierce Leaves Great First Impression On Joe Mixon During OTAs

The Houston Texans' revamped roster has coach DeMeco Ryans excited for the 2024 season. He believes the Texans have made significant improvements on both sides of the ball, headlined by landing All-Pro wide receiver Stefon Diggs in a trade with the Buffalo Bills on April 3.

The improvements Houston made to its offensive backfield are near the top of Ryans's favorite moves of the offseason, given that the Texans were able to land running back Joe Mixon from the Cincinnati Bengals.

Mixon will take the helm as Houston's starting running back entering the 2024 season. But despite the down year Dameon Pierce had last year, the Texans expect their former fourth-round pick to remain in a vital role.

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The start of Organized Team Activities has given the Texans a chance to see the improvements Pierce has made entering his third season, and his qualities on and off the field have left a great impression on Mixon.

"The thing that I love about Dameon, he keeps me working hard too," Mixon said. "I've always had a great work ethic. But the way he works, its like, 'okay, I gotta keep rolling too.' I think its a great thing for the both of us and the other running backs in the room. We all feed off one another. We all bring certain things to the table. He works hard, and I love his work ethic."

Pierce joined the Texans as a fourth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. He has appeared in 27 career games, rushing for 1,355 yards and six touchdowns on 365 attempts.

In 2023, his second season with the franchise was a disappointment. Pierce finished with 416 yards and two touchdowns across 14 games. His lack of production led to a decrease in offensive snaps while Devin Singletary took the lead as Houston's feature back.

The work ethic Mixon is fond of is a sample size as to why Ryans believes Pierce will have a chance to re-establish himself as an essential part of Houston's offensive backfield next season.

"What I have seen from Dameon [Pierce] this offseason is a guy who has put in the work," Ryans said. "He has changed his body, he is strong, he has been working out every day of the offseason program.

"I see Dameon having a very clear headspace as we are out working, and I think that will allow him to have a really productive year this year. He has everything it takes to be a really good running back for us, and I think him and Joe [Mixon], as a one-two punch, would be very beneficial for us all."

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