Because it makes all the sense in the world to sign a running back that will be 28 years old at kickoff to a three-year deal, only to force feed Dameon Pierce the ball who was already on the roster in the first place.
In one of the more surprising developments of the still-young offseason, Ryans has apparently become a Dameon Pierce fan and is interested in using him in a larger capacity than he was late in 2023. His desire to get Pierce on the field likely stems more from needing to keep Joe Mixon fresh than it does actually wanting to hand the ball off Pierce, who averaged a paltry 2.9 yards per carry last year.
As crazy as it might sound, especially given Pierce’s fall from grace last season, fantasy managers should bear in mind the threat that Houston lets Pierce mix in a bit more than originally anticipated, especially if DeMeco Ryans is going to continue to blow smoke up his a**. However, the bottom line for the Texans backfield remains intact; Mixon should be expected to handle the majority of the work when fresh while Pierce remains on glorified mop-up duty.