Former Kansas City Chiefs running back Dameon Pierce has suddenly received a new playing opportunity despite not seeing many snaps in his short time in KC last season. On Thursday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Philadelphia Eagles agreed to a one-year deal with Pierce.
This might come as a surprise, given that Pierce appeared in one game with the Chiefs, which was the Week 18 finale against the Las Vegas Raiders. However, the Eagles reportedly had the veteran running back on their radar after the Texans released him late last season. As we know, however, Pierce ultimately opted for Kansas City over Philadelphia.
Ex-Chiefs RB Dameon Pierce Joins Eagles During 2nd Week of Free Agency
This newfound opportunity with the Eagles for Pierce could and should be more beneficial than his time with the Chiefs.
When the Chiefs surprisingly picked up Pierce after his time with the Texans ended, the hope was that Kansas City would play the former fourth-round pick to see if he could be part of the running back room in 2026. However, the Chiefs had other ideas for their running back room and Pierce.
Pierce spent just about a month on Kansas City’s practice squad before being signed to the active roster on Dec. 20. Despite getting moved to the active roster ahead of KC’s Week 16 matchup vs. the Tennessee Titans, the Chiefs rolled with Isiah Pacheco, Kareem Hunt, and Brashard Smith. Pacheco and Hunt received most of the work, even though Kansas City’s playoff hopes were nonexistent.
It was the same story in Week 17 against the Denver Broncos, which just infuriated the Chiefs' fanbase. They would rather watch Smith and Pierce over Pacheco and Hunt, who were set to become free agents in the offseason.
Pierce finally got his chance in Week 18, but he only had 10 yards on four carries. It was the last time we saw him in a Chiefs’ uniform. Now, Pierce will head to Philadelphia to possibly compete for the RB3 job, currently occupied by Will Shipley.
Shipley hasn’t done much offensively in his first two years in the NFL, spending most of his time on special teams on kick return duties. Last season, Shipley averaged 26.8 yards per kick return on 29 attempts. With that said, the former Clemson standout should feel anything but comfortable in his situation.
Pierce has the higher upside as a running back over Shipley based on his career in Houston, and he can also play special teams. The 26-year-old running back is averaging 32.8 yards per kick return over his career. Granted, Pierce only has 20 kick returns under his belt, but knowing that he can do it gives him a chance to win a job in Philadelphia and put his short-lived tenure in Kansas City behind him.
Whether that ultimately pushed Shipley out the door remains to be seen.