Ahead of their Week 16 matchup against the Tennessee Titans, the Kansas City Chiefs waived veteran running back Elijah Mitchell, who hasn’t played much after being signed to a one-year deal this season
With an open spot now available, Kansas City decided to sign running back Dameon Pierce from the practice squad to the active roster. Chiefs fans have been patiently waiting to see what the former Houston Texan can do and if he can make a case to be part of K.C.'s roster for 2026.
However, much to their displeasure, fans will have to wait at least one more week for Pierce to make his Chiefs’ debut. Just hours before kickoff, Pierce was among the inactive players for the Chiefs.
As you can imagine, fans weren’t pleased to see this, as the Chiefs don't have much to play for as they were eliminated from playoff contention last week. This is the perfect time to play Pierce to see if he can make some plays and establish himself as an option. But head coach Andy Reid feels otherwise.
Chiefs Making Dameon Pierce Want a 1-Way Ticket Out of KC
If you’re in Pierce’s shoes, the 2025 season has been an interesting ride to say the least. The 25-year-old running back only appeared in four games with the Texans earlier this year, as he saw his role diminish due to the other options in the backfield.
Pierce started his career in Houston on a high note, but over the last two years, he fell out of favor, ultimately leading to him being waived just a week before Thanksgiving. However, he likely thought landing in K.C. would be a good opportunity for his career to prove himself on a perennial contender.
That hasn’t happened yet, despite the Chiefs’ backfield being underwhelming this season. We already know in some way that Isiah Pacheco won’t be around next year, and Kareem Hunt is scheduled to be a free agent in the offseason (although a door could be open for a return).
Therefore, it would be in the Chiefs’ best interest to give carries to rookie Brashard Smith and to have Pierce active on gamedays. The latter can be utilized on the ground and in the passing game, but also possesses some special teams skills in the kick return game. That said, if you’re Pierce, you hope you get to play in Weeks 17 and 18 because if not, then signing with the Chiefs was for nothing.
Even if he doesn’t play, the Chiefs could offer the ex-Texan a futures deal to compete for a spot in 2026. But who’s to say that Pierce can’t get a cheap one-year deal in free agency from an RB-needy team? That might involve joining a lesser team, but that could be worth it for Pierce if it's his best path towards playing time.
With how things have gone so far, the next two weeks will shape Pierce's Chiefs future. If Kansas City can't find a way to get him on the field and the ball into his hands, chances are he'll be playing elsewhere next season, solidifying his brief stint with the franchise as a waste of time.