For as impressive as the Texans looked in the second-half of last season, the team lacked a certain offensive punch outside of Nico Collins. That may have changed on Monday morning, as Houston has acquired David Montgomery from Detroit.
The former third-round pick has spent the last three seasons splitting snaps with Jahmyr Gibbs, yet that hasn’t stopped Montgomery from scoring 33 touchdowns in that span. Still, with Gibbs now arguably the best back in the NFL, it was time for Montgomery to find a new home — albeit one that already has an interesting cast of characters on the running back depth chart.
Will Montgomery see a monopoly with the Texans? Or will Woody Marks remain a large piece of the RB puzzle after a promising rookie campaign? How about Joe Mixon? Remember him? Let’s break it all down.
Texans’ Running Back Woes
The tale of the Texans’ running back room in 2025 is filled with notable names, but not many notable performances.
Joe Mixon was directly on the heels of a 1,000-yard season in 2024, one good enough to earn the veteran Pro Bowl status. However, foot and ankle injuries prevented Mixon from ever taking a snap. Now entering the final, non-guaranteed year of his contract, it seems like Mixon is set to be cut, which would save Houston $8.5 million in cap room.
The Texans then turned to Nick Chubb, a full-year removed from a devastating knee injury that essentially ended his historic run with the Browns. Sadly, Chubb still didn’t look anything like the man who ran for over 1,500 yards back in 2022. He started the first eight weeks of the season, but failed to rush for even 65 yards in any of those contests. In fact, Chubb averaged just 0.66 PPR fantasy points per touch in this eight-game stretch, which ranked 53rd of the 54 RBs that had played at least 25% of their team’s offensive snaps entering Week 9. Woof.
Understandably, it was at that point that the team turned to Woody Marks, the Texans’ fourth-round pick out of USC.
Woody Marks 2026 Fantasy Outlook
It’s easy to say that Marks was the best running back Houston rostered in 2025, though as previously laid out, that’s not all that amazing a distinction. Despite seeing only 12 carries across the Texans’ first three games, Marks would finish the regular season as the team-leader in rushing attempts (196) and rushing yards (703), while also turning 24 receptions into 208 yards and three touchdowns. That said, Marks averaged a mere 3.6 yards per carry — the lowest figure of any RB with over 175 attempts. Marks’ 46.4% rushing success rate also ranked towards the bottom of the list of qualified running backs. By most conventional measures, Marks simply wasn’t very effective with his opportunity.
These results pretty much align with how draft experts viewed Marks entering the league. Only able to register a 4.54 40-yard dash time at the NFL Combine, Marks isn’t blessed with breakaway speed, nor does he possess the physicality to be a consistent threat running between the tackles. It seemed like Marks’ path to success was always going to be as a complimentary piece. A third down back with legitimate ability to catch the football. Remember, Marks caught 214 passes at Mississippi State before transferring to USC as a fifth-year senior. That included the now 25-year-old finishing his sophomore season 83 receptions — the second-most on the team.
In that way, Marks should actually be the perfect man to pair with Montgomery, who has long made his name with his bruising rushing style. This could be another classic “thunder and lightning” scenario, though one with far less fantasy appeal than the one Montgomery is leaving in his rearview in Detroit.
The Bottom Line
While Woody Marks made a slight name for himself in 2025, it’s clear that the Texans knew they needed an upgrade at the running back position heading into next season. Barring injury, David Montgomery is going to be the starter.
However, Marks will retain some value in full-point PPR settings, now falling into a category of draft asset that is headlined by similar backs like Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Tyjae Spears. Guys that have a role as a pass-catcher and third down specialist. That is, unless Houston once again decides to dip into the running back pool in the draft. There’s a lot of offseason still to go.
