Head coach Lovie Smith confirmed Wednesday that Pierce is the Texans' starting running back, Brooks Kubena of the Houston Chronicle reports. "He's earned the right to run with the ones, and I'm anxious to see him play," Smith said of the rookie fourth-round pick.
With Pierce atop the team's posted depth chart ahead of Sunday's season opener against the Colts and poised to handle the lead role out of the backfield, look for Rex Burkhead to work in a complementary capacity. Of particular note in his NFL debut will be what sort of volume Pierce logs, given that the 5-foot-10, 218-pound back often worked in a committee during his collegiate career at Florida.