New England Patriots - NESN.com
Heading into Week 12, the New England Patriots are in a pretty good position from a health perspective. The only two major injuries they are dealing with currently involve defensive tackle Milton Williams and running back Antonio Gibson, with the latter being out for the season.
In Gibson’s absence, the Pats have been piecing together their running back depth, especially with Rhamondre Stevenson missing the past three games due to a toe injury. Before the trade deadline rolled around, one potential trade target for New England was Houston Texans running back Dameon Pierce.
At one point, Pierce was the Texans’ starting running back, but he ended up getting boxed out of snaps this season by Woody Marks and Nick Chubb. Earlier this week, Pierce was released by Houston, and he has now cleared waivers, meaning the Pats could conceivably sign him in free agency if they wanted to.
“Former Texans RB Dameon Pierce cleared waivers and is now a free agent,” Tom Pelissero of NFL Network shared in a post on X.
As a rookie in 2022, Pierce racked up 939 yards and four touchdowns on 220 carries, and he seemed primed to become the team’s No. 1 running back moving forward. However, he struggled in 2023, before ceding his job to Joe Mixon in 2024. Now, he’s up for grabs for whatever team wants him.
New England could certainly use some running back depth, although it is worth noting that Stevenson is set to return from a toe injury in Week 12. Pierce could be a solid option worth stashing on the practice squad, but with Stevenson healthy again, it remains to be seen if that is a move the front office would want to make.
