The Texans have spent three straight seasons bumping up against their own ceiling, and every year the same issue kept showing up: they couldn’t run the ball well enough. Not against good defenses, not in close games, not when it mattered most. So this offseason, Houston went and got David Montgomery from Detroit. A proven, between-the-tackles thumper who’s going to take over on early downs and change how defensive fronts have to play them.
That leaves Woody Marks in an interesting spot. Marks started most of last season as a rookie, grinding out 703 yards and two touchdowns across 16 games. He was fine, especially considering the offensive line was inconsistent and the whole operation felt clunky at times. But fine doesn’t get you past the divisional round.
Marks isn’t getting pushed aside. He’s getting a different job.
Running backs coach and assistant head coach Danny Barrett talked to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 this week about what Marks’ role looks like now that Montgomery is in the building. And the message was pretty clear: this isn’t a demotion, it’s a pivot.
“I think the key for Woody is understanding his role, which he does,” Barrett said. “He’s going to get lots of opportunities. Last year we brought him along slower, which was good to help him kind of learn the game. And once he learned the game, he played a lot faster. And you can see him now playing even faster.”
Barrett laid out exactly where Marks fits: third downs, special teams, kickoff returns and probably more involvement in the passing game. That last part is worth watching. Marks showed flashes as a receiver out of the backfield last season, and if the Texans can get him matched up on linebackers in space, that’s a real weapon they didn’t really have in 2025.
“Just his level of confidence in the offense going into year two is at an all-time high right now,” Barrett said. “We’ve got to keep it there.”
The Texans also made moves up front this offseason, which should help both backs. It’s one thing to have a power runner like Montgomery and a versatile guy like Marks. It’s another thing to have actual holes for them to run through. Houston is betting they’ve fixed that part of the equation too.
So the running back room looks different now. Montgomery is the hammer on early downs. Marks is the chess piece on passing downs and special teams. And if both guys stay healthy, the Texans might finally have the kind of backfield rotation that can carry them deeper than they’ve been the last three years.
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