🔥 WATCH: With injuries piling up, the Chiefs are banking on Dameon Pierce to turn a shaky backfield into a surprise weapon.QQ

The Chiefs have acted quickly to start Week 13 with the addition of Dameon Pierce to the backfield, which might tell us something about his on-boarding process.

The Kansas City Chiefs have made the move that fans have been waiting for: a backfield addition with the signing of Dameon Pierce. NFL reporter Jordan Schultz broke the news shortly after the Chiefs edged the Indianapolis Colts in a 23-20 close victory at Arrowhead in Week 12.

The Chiefs face a very short week before Week 13 given their scheduled date against the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving, which makes it hard to know if Pierce will be available to play that quickly or not. Either way, it brings some help on the horizon for a team that’s struggled to force defenses to respect the run game all season.

The Chiefs leaned heavily on Kareem Hunt for 30 rushes and 33 overall touches on Sunday in the win over Indy, but that was largely due Isiah Pacheco’s ongoing lack of availability due to a knee injury suffered back in Week 8 during a win against the Washington Commanders. Pacheco was never placed on injured reserve, yet the team’s lead back has been out for four weeks and it’s hard to tell when he will be ready.

Hunt is the Chiefs’ short-yardage back and is at his best when relegated to limited reps in key situations. That means Pierce could become very important very quickly for Kansas City as they try to claw their way into contention after slipping to No. 10 in the pecking order in the AFC playoff picture.

The Chiefs have acted quickly to start Week 13 with the addition of Dameon Pierce to the backfield, which might tell us something about his on-boarding process.

Pierce was recently released by the Houston Texans and cleared waivers heading into Week 12. That made him a free agent for any team to sign, and early rumors had several teams interested. However, the Chiefs are the one team that had not only an obvious need but a real chance for Pierce to build any sort of marketplace value with only a few games left before hitting free agency next spring.

So far this season, Pierce has only 10 carries for 26 yards for the Texans in four games, so it’s hard to tell what sort of impact to expect overall. At one point, during his rookie year in 2022, Pierce had 1,104 yards from scrimmage for Houston and finished ninth in offensive rookie of the year voting. Just last year, he had a 92 yard touchdown run in a short sample size in which he averaged over 7 yards per carry. That said, injuries have limited his development and the Texans buried him on the depth chart since that rookie campaign.

Interestingly enough, the Chiefs have a number of running backs who were most impressive in their 2022 rookie seasons. Pacheco finished 10th that season in voting, as he led the Chiefs in rushing yards in both 2022-23 before injuries have robbed him of the chance to build on that body of work in recent years. Elijah Mitchell remains on the active roster as a former first-year sensation for the San Francisco 49ers, but the Chiefs have treated him the same way the Texans have treated Pierce—by making him a healthy scratch on game day.

If Pacheco remains out, the Chiefs might be forced to lean on Pierce from the jump. They visit Dallas in just three days time, and it’s hard to see them wanting to squeeze a lot more juice out of Hunt when he was already overloaded in a must-win on Sunday against the Colts. That said, Pierce doesn’t know the playbook and it’s likely going to be too much for any one player to handle—unless Pacheco turns the corner.

The Chiefs acted quickly to bring Pierce into the equation on game day, which shows they mean business here. Even in a short week, a late-Sunday signing could be a sign that Pierce is getting reps sooner than later. At first it might be part of a committee with rookie Brashard Smith, Kareem Hunt, and maybe even Elijah Mitchell. For the long-term, however, Pierce’s presence gives the Chiefs another piece to try to fit into the offensive puzzle at a position that’s looked limited since Week 1.