Kansas City Chiefs practice squad RB Dameon Pierce has been in the building for 16 days, but fans could find themselves waiting quite a bit before he makes his debut.

Dave Toub shut down any hopes of Pierce playing against his former team, the Houston Texans, in Week 14. This time around, it’s Andy Reid downplaying the possibility of a practice squad promotion for the midseason acquisition in Week 15 against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Chiefs unlikely to elevate RB Dameon Pierce from the practice squad for Week 15

Asked about whether Pierce would be elevated from the practice squad for Week 15 vs. the Chargers, Chiefs HC Andy Reid insisted that Reid isn’t ready for that yet. His reasoning behind that was two-fold: both related to his acclimation to the new system and team, and to the team’s situation.

“Yeah, so I think he’s still getting acclimated with everything here,” Reid said of Pierce. “I like the kid. I can tell he’s sharp and into it, and we don’t have any injuries going on. So, the guys that know the stuff are playing right now, and I sure like the way he goes about his business. You see why he’s a good player.”

Pierce seems to be on the right track, but with just over two full weeks in the system, it appears that he’s not yet up to speed on everything he’d be tasked with. The Chiefs have plenty of revolving pieces on the offensive line right now as well, so that could play a role, given that the protection schemes have to be flawless. The other part of it is simply a numbers game. With RB Isiah Pacheco back in the lineup following his knee injury, the Chiefs are whole when it comes to the health of their running back room. That can quickly change, especially at that position. But, simply put, Reid doesn’t see the need to elevate Pierce right now.

Tyquan Thornton’s trajectory is the best-case scenario for Dameon Pierce

Last season, the Chiefs added WR Tyquan Thornton to the practice squad in mid-November. On December 23, they signed TE Robert Tonyan to the practice squad. Neither player was elevated or played a snap in Kansas City during the 2024 NFL season. Yet, both players got a valuable head start on learning the playbook, which allowed them to perform well during training camp and the preseason, paving the way for them to make the 53-man roster in 2025.

When asked whether that’s the type of trajectory Pierce is on, Chiefs HC Andy Reid suggested it could be.

“Sure, potentially,” Reid said. “It seems like he’s all-in on things, and I’ve heard nothing but good things about him. Yeah, he’s been welcomed here that way.”

Andy Reid’s mistake with Dameon Pierce follows a common theme

Frustrations are at an all-time high in Chiefs Kingdom as the team sits at 6-7 through 14 weeks and on the brink of elimination from playoff contention for the first time since the Patrick Mahomes era began. The running game has been a massive source of frustration for fans, who felt the team didn’t do enough to invest in the position group during the offseason or at the NFL’s trade deadline.

When Pierce was signed, there was some thought that he could be a part of the in-season solution to a growing problem. Now, it’s becoming clear that he’s a bigger part of the team’s long-term outlook as they try to rebuild their running back room.

It’s reasonable that Pierce is not ready after 16 days, especially if that wasn’t the plan for him. However, fans view Coach Reid’s offensive scheme as overly complex, as there are now countless examples of rookies and new players struggling to acclimate and contribute in meaningful ways. With the Chiefs facing elimination from playoff contention as early as this week, there’s an expectation of urgency to solve problems. All fans are seeing is the same old stagnation and themes that has the team in this predicament in the first place. If they reach a point where there’s nothing left to lose, young and new players should be getting as many opportunities as possible.

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