The Jets are adding another veteran to their group of running backs. On Wednesday morning, the Jets and tailback Bernard Pierce reached agreement on a deal, as Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets.
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If Pierce makes the Jets’ roster, he won’t be with the team for the first two weeks of the regular season. In May, the NFL handed Pierce a two-game suspension, though the reason for the ban was not disclosed. In the past, Pierce has dealt with substance abuse issues and he was arrested for a DUI charge prior to the 2015 season.
Pierce appeared in seven games with the Jaguars in 2015 and totaled just six carries for 11 yards. The 24-year-old spent the first three seasons of his career with the Ravens after they used a 2012 third-round pick on him, and he showed significant promise as a rookie. That year, the ex-Temple Owl averaged 4.9 yards per rush on 108 attempts. Pierce added a combined 802 rushing yards the next two seasons in Baltimore, but on a meager 3.3 yards per carry. As a free agent, he hasn’t publicly drawn interest from any NFL teams this offseason.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.