After he surprisingly shook loose from the Houston Texans, and in the wake of J.K. Dobbins’ season-ending injury, many a Denver Broncos fan wanted the team to pursue veteran running back Dameon Pierce on the open market. Those dreams, unfortunately for them, are now dead.
According to Texans reporter Aaron Wilson, Pierce agreed to join the Kansas City Chiefs’ practice squad on Sunday, turning down offers from multiple teams in the process — the Broncos being one.
He also received similar overtures from the Los Angeles Chargers, Chicago Bears, Philadelphia Eagles, Indianapolis Colts, Cincinnati Bengals, and Miami Dolphins.
Former #Texans starting running back Dameon Pierce, who’s signing with #Chiefs practice squad, had offers from #Chargers #Broncos #Bears #Eagles #Colts #Bengals along with interest from #Dolphins per #NFL sources @KPRC2 @GatorsFB https://t.co/yN2f1QdU58
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) November 24, 2025
A 2022 fourth-round pick, Pierce accumulated 1,674 rushing yards and eight touchdowns across 415 career carries for Houston, adding 45 receptions for 268 yards and a receiving score. The former Florida standout appeared in 42 games, starting 20, before losing his spot in the RB pecking order behind veterans Joe Mixon and Nick Chubb and rookie Woody Marks.
Had he accepted Denver’s offer, Pierce would’ve seen immediate snaps as the replacement 1A to rookie RJ Harvey’s 1B — a capable substitute for Dobbins, the NFL’s fifth-leading rusher at the time of his injury, and a substantial upgrade on incumbent backs Jaleel McLaughlin and Tyler Badie.
Alas, unlike in Week 11, the Chiefs got the better of the Broncos.
Jan 5, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Houston Texans running back Dameon Pierce (31) runs the ball against the Tennessee Titans during the second half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
Payton Discusses Ground Attack
For all intents and purposes, the Broncos’ running game struggled in its first game without Dobbins, as the group combined for just 59 ground yards in its 22-19 victory over the Chiefs. Harvey “led” the way with 11 carries for 30 yards (2.7 YPC); McLaughlin (19 yards, one TD), quarterback Bo Nix (8 yards), and receiver Marvin Mims (2 yards) also chipped in.
Despite the poor statistical output, head coach Sean Payton came out of the club’s bye week encouraged by what he saw on film against Kansas City — particularly from McLaughlin.
“The number of touches that we had, the number of runs we had was down. I think looking back at it, [RB] Jaleel [McLaughlin] had a handful of good runs,” Payton told reporters Monday. “I think with the flow of a normal game, he’s going to be important for us in this stretch. Obviously, [RB] RJ [Harvey] as well, and then [FB Adam] Prentice played probably one of his better games. He didn’t just play at the fullback position, but he actually went in with some of the pressure stuff that we were getting from Kansas City on third down and was outstanding.”