The Green Bay Packers' running back room is a major question mark ahead of Sunday's Week 12 clash with the rival Minnesota Vikings. Lead runner Josh Jacobs' status is up in the air as he deals with a knee injury, which could hold him out of the lineup until Thanksgiving (h/t @mattschneidman), making it likely that Emmanuel Wilson will be the RB1 this weekend.
Just when the Packers' backfield needed help, an ideal solution has fallen into general manager Brian Gutekunst's lap. The Houston Texans have announced that they are waiving veteran RB Dameon Pierce amid his fourth season with the franchise that drafted him, opening the door for a potential Packers signing.
Packers Must Place Dameon Pierce Waiver Claim After Texans Release
Since it wasn't an outright release, Pierce must clear waivers before he hits free agency. The Packers' 65.0% win percentage will have them sitting 23rd in the pecking order, meaning they'll need a lot of help just for the now-released Texans RB to fall to them. Fortunately, Pierce's quiet season might help them with that.
After being drafted 107th overall in 2022, Pierce went on to make an immediate impact with 939 rushing yards on 220 carries, 165 receiving yards on 30 catches, and five total touchdowns in 13 starts. Injuries and new RB additions in Houston quickly forced him out of the lead job, though, culminating in his only having 10 carries for 26 rushing yards in four games this season.
Rookie RB Woody Marks' emergence, combined with Nick Chubb's veteran presence, made it easy for the Texans to send Pierce to waivers. Now, Houston's decision can benefit Green Bay.
The Packers can't wait on Lloyd forever, and there's no telling how/if Jacobs will hold up down the stretch, especially if his knee issue lingers. That's why targeting Pierce makes sense, especially for the practice squad. Although he wouldn't flip the RB room on its head, he'd at least provide head coach Matt LaFleur with a proven set of legs to run the ball if anyone misses time or needs a breather in games where he's elevated.
It's also safe to say that, if the Packers want to add a new RB at this point in the year, they won't do better than the dismissed Texan. The trade deadline is long gone, and the other remaining options in free agency are far from sexy. Even if a signing/claim doesn't work out, Green Bay isn't exactly losing out on much by rolling the dice on Pierce — especially on a $1.3 million cap hit, per Spotrac.
With how close the playoffs are, the last thing the Packers need is for Jacobs to get hurt again or for Wilson to prove he can't handle lead-back duties. At least with Pierce, Green Bay would have an experienced vet who'll be desperate to prove himself, making it a late-season risk worth taking.